Chained By Love
by skitzoism
Summary: A chained and disheveled Shadow had finally escaped confinement for 50 years. Determined not to be caught again, he wonders the free world in curiosity and fear, only to be captured by someone who forever changes his life. COMPLETE
1. Prologue

Well, this was written in a spur of the moment.

I said I was taking a small break, and I guess I did. Anyway, yeah. I'm having improvements on my writing. My friend is being my beta reader for now on, and I'm just better in general. At least I think so. xD

I know, I know. I was planning this whole highschool/AU story, but I thought this up and I just decided to write it. I tried writing the other one a bit and this just flowed so much easier, so I decided to continue this. I may go back to that in the future, but who knows.

Like my last story, this is a Sonadow. It pretty much has nothing to do with my last story, so yeah. Just forget about that when reading this. xP This story will most likely be longer and much more mature/developed than my last one. This is, I guess, slightly out of plot line with certain aspects in Shadow's life. You'll see as we get further into the story.

This is simply a prologue; a teaser. This just may be what you get for a little while. I've only written one chapter, and as I said, it was sort of out of no where. I want to get a few more chapters done before I post again. This is just to leave you with something and to show you I'm not dead. x)

P.S.: I love to listen to the song, 'Recycled Air' by The Postal Service whenever I read this chapter. No idea why, just, I don't know. xP

I hope you enjoy it.

**Name**: 'Chained By Love'

**Rating**: Teen/PG-13 (might go up)

**Pairings**: SonicxShadow, possible KnuxRouge

**Warning**: Male/Male relationship; don't read if you don't like it

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Ugh. He hated humid weather.

Though at the current moment, the uncomfortable weather and his strong dislike for it shouldn't be what he was worrying about.

Perhaps, the people chasing him, is what he should of been concentrating on.

Swift and as dark as night, a form made it's way through the night's shadows, racing his way through the bare field ahead. Through freezing drops of rain littering the grasses and numbing bare feet, the creature moved with a calm stride, though it was obvious by his breathing that he was in a state of panic. What Shadow's eyes revealed when viewed much closer were a pure sense of fear, crimson eyes focusing from his front to behind him.

As the hedgehog quickly dashed into the light of the bare moon above, an array of foliage and dust picking up after him due to the speed. He zipped across the damp ground as his body pushed his hardest, his speed and endurance amazing for his current physical being. As of now, we got an explanation of why he blended so well in the shadows. His coat was pretty much completely black except for particular ruby streaks within his spikes, the largest located within his head quills. Their was also a spot of ivory fuzz upon his skinny chest, his build so thin that his bones were easily seen. Though they could be seen, certain features were hard to detect, for the male's coat wasn't it's normal sleek and clean coat; his whole form was completely dirty. The dirt upon the male was dark and smudged, mixing in with the hardened and dried blood scattered upon him. He also seemed to have fresh flesh wounds across his torso and legs, each draining at least a small amount of life's warm liquid. He was covered with not only deep gashes, but large and painful bruises, each breath painful with every deep gasp. His thin and starved frame won any argument in the fact that the hedgehog did not look his best. It was apparent by the scars and tired eyes he'd been put through a lot within his long and mostly painful lifetime. There was a serious face of bravery sketched within every line of his young face, the expression not unusual for the male hedgehog.

There was also the fact of what unnaturally weighed down the hedgehog's neck and wrists. Shut tightly around his throat and around each arm were tight, metal clamps, which were followed by a set of rusty and large chains. Each three of the last rings met right in the middle with a knot, keeping each tightly interlocked. All three chains were long enough to allow free movement, but were heavy none the less. It was easy to tell by his fast movement and easily mobility that he was able to withstand their amazing weight, showing he had been previously quite used to them. His features looked ill; it was like he had never endured a bath in his life, by how filthy he was. It seemed as if he was locked away for years and years on end.

That was the answer exactly; the male had never really seen the light of day. It was very likely he had never had an actual whiff of fresh air until now. As soon as his foot hit the free ground, his senses and instincts were bombarded, the male taking off into any direction. He was amazed at the speed he was reaching, the openness of the terrain in front of him, and the realness of everything in his view. He couldn't believe he finally made it out of his prison.

The male wished to never go back there. He had fought so hard to escape their clutches, he swore he'd die before he went back to such a place. His heart was forever stuck on that fact. He wished never to return to such a place so condemned, opting even hell over that. He simply shuddered at the idea as he heard the yells behind him getting much more fainter, obviously far ahead of them. It would be very doubtful if those chasing him caught him now. Though the male hedgehog never stopped, his feet pushing once more against the wet ground. He was determined to get as far as he could by using his frail legs to push harder.

He narrowed his eyes, feeling the wind brush him. So, this was exactly what he was missing. For the first time in the male's real existence, he got to feel the rushing breeze as he ran against the current. He closed his eyes and reminded himself never to stop, making himself easily pass through the trees.

Shadow was amazed he made it out of there in the first place and for the first time in his lifetime, his dreams were becoming a reality. Though yes, there was the possibly of getting caught again, he had at least made it this far. He was out of their darkened clutches for at least a period of time, his heart filling with accomplishment and rebellion. He tried not to worry about the consequences he faced if he was caught. It was sure that if he was captured once again, he hoped to face death for his punishment. He could not dare endure another time of curling up within his gruesome cell, having to lay silent so no one would bother or harm him. When he finally knew he was alone and there was no fear of disturbance, he'd stare through the bared windows, his past self once yearning for what he had now.

The male ran as long as he could with weakened legs, his body quickly tiering. Without warning, he by accident lost his footing, sending his exhausted body crashing to the ground. He slid across the muddy soil and was further dirtied, yet he didn't care. He was free. The male's eyes looked longingly into the star adorned celestials, his heart filling with unidentified emotions. His breath was somber as the chain around his neck tightened, the deep gash making it's way across his throat bleeding heavier. Though he didn't mind, for his eye's were too busy catching the scenery. As he laid tired and unable to move within the damp grasses, his eyes slowly shut, taking in the silence of his new surroundings.

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	2. A Whole New World

Compared to my last story, this took so long to write.

I apologize for that. School is ending, so that of course means tests. So, yeah, I was a bit busy with that. I have a few more and eh, I just decided to post it now. x)

Anyway, some few important things. This story will be in the range of like 15-20 chapters, I think. It's to early to tell. It is different from Hard to Express, in the sense this story is going to be much darker, you could say. I don't want to give anything away, though.

Anyway, enjoy.

**Name**: 'Chained By Love'

**Rating**: Teen/PG-13 (might go up)

**Pairings**: SonicxShadow, possible KnuxRouge

**Warning**: Male/Male relationship; don't read if you don't like it

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Shadow had been trapped in confinement for so long, he knew his cell like the back of his hand.

The hedgehog could tell you every crack and crumble within the cement block wall, each crusted and molded brick identical to the next. He could recall every single blood shed that blotched the floor and every single stain of God only knows what covering the ground. It wouldn't be hard for him to decipher if he caused any of those fluids, if the scratches etched into the brick were calculated in his rage, or if the small yet deep holes were a creation of his own attempt to escape earlier. He could probably remember each shape of his breath due to the freezing temperatures he had to endure, never given even the smallest of sheets to protect him from the elements. By now the male, due to the many decades he resided in the single cell, memorized every rat hole that indented the bared room.

It's amazing Shadow had been able to survive in such extreme conditions. The filth and cold would of been unbearable for many species of the planet, yet Shadow always made it through the night alive. The saddest part was that Shadow could of seen it as a curse within itself. There were days were Shadow had sat in solitary silence, in the darkest of corners in the tiny room, eyes staring out into the empty hallways. Yet there were other days; other days which Shadow transformed from a silent creature to a raging beast. Days were no one would dare step foot even 5 feet away the bars, unless they expected to lose a limb. After years and years of enduring punishment and loneliness, he was to the point he was so spiteful he'd attack anyone in the vicinity he found were part of them. Those who captured him, that is.

It was amazing the creature could keep his sanity. Shadow had always been a patient and dignified creature even before he was taken to that nightmare. Yet even if some days he could keep his composure, there were days he questioned himself. In the years of his depression there were times he would simply talk to himself, becoming so desperate he'd attempt to bite at his own wrists. Yet he never did, and never slipped deeper than that. That was certainly his low period. Even if he never allowed anyone to see him, that was a time were Shadow swore he cried almost every night. At this point, he was not only mourning at how he landed in the prison, but almost out of self-loathing.

That time passed, as many did. Shadow had his ups and down through the whole prison process. There was a period of complete of strength. At time where Shadow sat in the middle of the room, never moving a facial muscle, staring with eyes narrowed. He wouldn't flinch at any source of movement or never touched the small portions of food they offered only a few days a week. That was the shortest period Shadow faced, even if it was his most powerful.

The next stage was a time of anger. Shadow, who was angry to begin with, simply crammed it within himself. Unable to contain it any longer, he rightfully snapped. He was in a time of complete hate of the world and humanity in general, attacking anything in his path. Whether it be the people assigned to check on him or the rodents that scurried across the floor, he'd always attempt to kill them. This was also the span where Shadow received the most punishment. When he was able to be contained, his captors had full and complete permission to beat him for his actions. Yet they never killed him, though at times came close to it. This was perhaps the longest period that Shadow had to endure.

The next was his days of depression. The time when Shadow, in his eyes, figured it was all his fault. That the reason why he was in there was simply all his doing. All the people who suffered in the process was because of him. The Shadow before the whole situation would of been hating himself at that period. Shadow rarely ate, which was perhaps the time he lost the most weight. Even presently, Shadow had never been able to gain back the weight he lost. It was the time where the hedgehog wanted no association with anyone and simply slept as much as he could, because if he didn't, he'd wind up finding a reason to cry. He was desperate at this point, having no contact with anyone except for the people he loathed. He hated himself as well as the whole entire planet, wishing that at this point he'd simply perish.

The last stage that Shadow went through pretty much got his freedom, which was his time of rebellion. Shadow had figured that even if it was his fault and that he deserved it, he should no longer live like this. His life was certainly not to waste. So, at any time, Shadow attempted many times to escape. If it was when they tried to feed him, digging through the walls, or even squeezing through the bars, he risked it. He'd attempt at any point to get his freedom. Yet, thanks to chance, it wasn't until the most unlikely event happened to get his independence...

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After Shadow awoke and first opened his tired eyes, he immediately closed them with a silent hiss. It was his first time he had ever really experienced the blaring sun. Shadow could only imagine how bad it would become when he stepped into the open fields, his eyes even sensitive to the light through the forest's treetops. He eventually adjusted to the new light and took a look around him, now seeing the woods for the first time in the history of his life.

His eyes were wide with amazement as he experienced trees for the first time. His form slowly rose as the chains around his neck jingled, causing a disturbance in the silence. The creatures in the treetops heard and quickly shifted, causing Shadow to appear frighten of their unexpected movements. He stared in amazement at the birds that fled from the trees, in the past only being able to hear them from his prison cell. The only real animals he had even witnessed were rats and insects, never seeing some of the creatures he spotted until now. He watched them scurry about in the tree limbs and could only gasp at how they looked and worked, blinking innocently as they always fled from him.

He slowly continued though was obviously sore from the running he did last night, knowing he could never stay in one spot for too long. As he traveled through the woodlands he'd touch anything he could, wanting to experience every texture he could get his hands on. He was fascinated at how rough yet natural bark was, the leathery yet fragile feel of leaves, and and the varying compositions of the rocks around him. With each step he was careful not to step on them and other sharp objects, always walking slow not only to protect himself, but to also take in the flora and fauna.

Through his travels Shadow had to say, he was quite parched. He knew he was in need of water. So, he continued through the forest until he thankfully came across a stream, looking at the flowing liquid. He was once again amazed as it made it's way south down a gentle slope, watching the quickness of it's flow. He gazed at the gleam of the rippling water and wondered closer to it, eyes looking within it. He gaped at the fish which swam with and against the current, even attempting to grab at them. He caught one within his bare hands gently and felt their texture, letting it go to scamper away.

As he did so, the reflection the water created caught the male's attention and as he turned towards it, he could only look in shock. Though his body did not show it his mind was having trouble taking in the face that stared back at him, his heart slightly breaking. It was the first time in fifty years that Shadow actually saw himself.

What Shadow saw was the most tired, abused, and strained face he had ever encountered. Though he had the same glare, his face was thin and sunken, even slightly scarred. His once bright and fiery crimson eyes were now dark and only embers, also having deep and heavy bags under them. His quills, though still angular, were much longer and extremely unkempt. His fur in general was not only filthy due to blood and grime, but had lacked all luster and shine. His once sleek and completely obsidian coat was now a dull and dry charcoal, the crimson streaks also flat in it's color. His torso he could easily see by looking down, but seeing it now made it like he'd never noticed before. He was obviously starved and malnourished, his ribs poking through his skin. His dermis in general hung loosely off his bones, the male appearing that he could break so easily. Shadow, in his eyes, was not the hedgehog he once was.

After getting over the disbelief of his appearance, he slowly cupped his hands and sipped the freshest water he ever tasted, his tongue attempting to savor the taste. Though as he swallowed his eyes closed instantly, wincing due to the slash in his throat. It did not help that the chains around it only gnashed against it and prevented it from ever fully healing, having the same wound for the many years of his life. He menacingly looked at the chains that held him down yet did nothing to ever rid of them, slowly letting out an inaudible sigh.

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Remember: Rate and Review. x)


	3. Fear of Just the Beginning

Alright, this got up late.

I was having problems uploading my documents, but it's been fixed. x)

Anyway, just to say, this story is going to start off slow. Sonic and the other characters won't show up for a few chapters.

Alright, enjoy.

**Name**: 'Chained By Love'

**Rating**: Teen/PG-13 (might go up)

**Pairings**: SonicxShadow, possible KnuxRouge

**Warning**: Male/Male relationship; don't read if you don't like it

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The time Shadow was captured was the first time he was ever frightened for his safety. He had been plenty times afraid for other's, but never before for himself. He didn't find it necessary and always viewed it as weak. Shadow always felt he should take the role of the protector, which he generally did. So when he first felt the horrid feeling build up in his chest, he barely understood. The hedgehog struggled with his composure as he continued to fight, never stopping for a minute down the long, forsaken hallway.

It was amazing they could hold him down, having to use the strongest men their organization held. Shadow trashed with crazed movements and seemed to never tire, giving each man a fear every time he almost manged to escape. The creature would bite at any hand that touched him and dig his hands into the crumbling stone walls, trying to find any way to break away. A few people came out with at least bruises and some had encountered worse, the hedgehog having no hesitation to scratch and bite at anyone.

As they continued to drag him lower through their base, it was as if he knew what was to come. Their was even one point where the hedgehog shouted with growls and yelps, his kicking and fighting only intensifying. It was at that point he received a punch to the face, stopping the hedgehog in his wake. The shock did not last long as his took a quick glance around, getting desperate in his measures.

"W-why are you doing this...?" was all the black hedgehog said, his lip punctured and bleeding due to the punch he received. He barely flinched at the sting of pain on his face and continued to struggle, his actions gradually becoming much more heated. "Why did you have to hurt them? Why her? They didn't do anything. If it was only me you wanted, why bother to kill so many innocent lives?" Was all he asked, the pain and hatred rising in his voice.

As Shadow was forcefully pushed down the stairs, he was agitated by the fact he didn't receive an answer. Though as they steadily inched deeper into the basement's darkness his panic rose greatly, his fighting quickly transforming from struggling to kicking and screaming. Shadow didn't need to look in front of him to know whatever waited for him was bad. Dried eyes from crying were tempted to pour again, Shadow clawing at the walls to slow their travel. Yet the other's continued forward and just pulled at him in response, quickly grabbing him by the arms.

It didn't take long for the men who restrained him to come to a complete stop, still trying to hold the hedgehog down. Shadow looked around in the darkness fearfully, though he could see nothing as of now except for the gleam of the dog tags around his captors neck. His chest heaved up and down quickly as he continued to wither in their hands, feeling their grip loosen a bit. The hedgehog without warning suddenly felt himself being released and he fell face first to a solid cement ground, though he barely hesitated in his fall. As soon as he could re cooperate he charged towards a possible exit, but instead found himself face to face with the strongest of bars to restrain him.

He gazed at the smooth yet freezing metal now blocking him and blinked at the men, confused. Before he could even think up a possible retort, a low voice had broke the placid silence.

"To answer your question, Project. It's simple; they were in the way."

Shadow gazed at them with mouth a gape but his fangs soon bared, thrashing his hands wildly from the cell he now stayed in. He snarled at the men and attempted to grab at the closet solider, wanting to kill the nearest person in the vicinity. Yet all he was greeted with was empty and black air, his eyes widening in fright as he heard the faintest of noises. Shadow knew that his life was over as he heard the heaviest of metal doors shut and lock without further conversation.

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It didn't take long for Shadow to awaken from that memory, sitting up in a cold sweat.

The hedgehog gently rubbed at the socket of his eyes, his head beginning to hurt. When he opened his lids and looked down on himself, he found that vomit stained his fur. He took in a deep sigh as he slowly laid his head back down on a pile of sticks, his eyes damp with tire as he focused on the stars. He felt extremely sick just at the vivid dream and recollection, not even able to tell it was a dream. It didn't take long for Shadow to once again lean to his side and hurl the rest of the bile in his stomach, rubbing at the already pained neck. The chains rustled as his hand stroked at the fur on his throat, shaking his head as he tried to shoo the dizziness.

He was aware that he needed to find something to drink. He covered a good amount of ground since his last stop, but had a sense a river was close by. He unsteadily yet slowly rose from his spot, finding his feet and walking forward. His eyes gazed around as he struggled to concentrate, trying to escape the fog in his mind.

Ever since he escaped the prison, he'd been having constant flashbacks and real-life visuals. Though yes, this occurred as he stayed at the jail, but never at the rate it was happening now. He flinched at the very thought of having to relive the whole story if it came down to it, seeming to always blank out during the episodes. He continued to walk, his legs slightly wobbling, as he continued to think.

He remembered that the memory he had just recollected was the point where he was first placed in his cell. When they entered the deep and barren hallway to the basement, that was the last time before he escape he saw that stairwell. He could not believe how realistic the vision was, getting another chill as he thought right back to the dream.

As he said, the dream was surreal. But it seemed a little too realistic. When the men pulled and kept a strong grip on his body, he still felt the same waves of pains in the same exact place. He was able to feel the fabrics of their uniforms, the ripping of flesh on both parties, and the vibration of the soldiers feet on the cement steps. He could still think of hearing his deep voice call out in the bottom of his throat, even the dried sensation of tears on his muzzle. He pretty much could remember every sense of that memory, even the smell of the burning charcoal in the deepest of their grounds.

It didn't take long for the ebon creature to come to the water's edge, having a bit of trouble as he walked down the incline the hill made. He jumped down to the foot of the river and took a deep breath, easily gaining his composure. He shut his eyes tightly and reminded himself it was simply a dream. Dreams are only moving images of his imagination. He then took no hesitation to cup his hands and take a sip of water, never tasting something so refreshing in his life.

It had been a few days since he continued to travel and he was still in the heart of the unknown territory, still trying to get the feel of nature. It had been such an amazing heaven to the hedgehog, unable to process the fact of so much open space. He had never felt so alone yet enjoyed it or never as this free. He was still in awe of the fresh air, the random textures and smell, and the small creatures that the woods contained. As his head hit the eroded soil behind him, crimson eyes shut softly in relaxation. That single handful of water trickled down his esophagus and immediately comforted him. Although he seemed lax, the hedgehog had continued to keep himself at a concentrated state. He was still slightly paranoid of being found again, the fur on the back of his neck already raising.

Shadow was finally beginning to drift back into sleep as he suddenly felt overly tense, his head shooting up to stare above. As he did so his ears folded to the back of his cranium, his eyes gazing upon the shadows beginning to engulf him. They seemed to resemble the shape of something as Shadow heart's dropped, his whole body sensing the worse. He quickly sprang up and stepped back, almost losing his footing as blaring lights flashed on. He caught himself from the fall, staring intensely at the machine towering over him, ears perking as he heard a few noises.

From within the robotic creation came clanking and noises of churning gears, hearing an intrigued voice break the night's silence.

"Well, what do we seem to have here...?"

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	4. A Meeting with the Doctor

Alright, sorry this is so late. ;

I thought summer it would be easily, but in reality, I'm having a rough summer. xx; A long story. Who'd think it would be so hard to be a teenager and to party so much? XD

I'm not sure if I like this chapter very much. I don't know, but I just don't.

I'm aware the story starts out slow, but Sonic will be coming VERY soon. Don't fret. XD

Alright, enjoy. )

**Name**: 'Chained By Love'

**Rating**: Teen/PG-13 (might go up)

**Pairings**: SonicxShadow, possible KnuxRouge

**Warning**: Male/Male relationship; don't read if you don't like it

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Shadow's eyes never flinched away from the light that shined upon him, crimson eyes narrowing as he stared upon the cockpit of the machine towering above. As he shifted his head upwards to gaze upon the inhabitants of the robot, he wouldn't lie and say he wasn't afraid. This very person could very much jeopardize his very freedom. Though he remained silent as usual, his lips twitching once in a while revealing gleaming, ivory fangs, his thin frame shifting to a defensive stance. He would attack if it was necessary. After 50 years of being captured, Shadow was determined to never be caught again.

As Dr. Eggman stared upon the creature below him, he subconsciously toyed with his mustache. All though the hedgehog did not know who he was, he certainly knew him. The doctor's smirk only grew as he leaned back in his chair, his eyes never leaving the disheveled creature below him. He automatically knew it was him by the markings that the hedgehog had, and the chains clinging to his form didn't hurt to add as more evidence. Yes, the scientist did not find the hedgehog he was looking for, but he seemed to have found something much more valuable.

He was aware that doors swooshed open behind him, but he did not budge. He continued to watch the hedgehog, having to laugh quietly to himself at the bravado it processed. Neither of the two broke their glare right away, until the one within the mechanical contraption was forced to. Eggman turned his gaze from Shadow towards the clicking of heels behind him, already knowing who it was. The bat behind him was a colleague, you could say, someone who was giving him a curious look. The curvy white bat was dressed in her usual attire of a skin tight jump suit with a large, pink heart in the front, the same shape located at the tip of her knee high boots. She had a pretty face with quite a large amount of makeup on, though many could say she was beautiful none the less. The doctor and Rouge were an odd pair, but they had their reasons for working together.

Rouge had raised a slender eyebrow as she spread her wings, flying to the side of the doctor. Her eyes immediately followed his own in interest, seeing the hedgehog below them. She smirked a bit and then looked to Eggman, though her eyes went right back to the one below. "Who is this guy? Looks like he has been through hell..." She continued to eye him, taking note of his beat-up form.

Eggman thoughtfully sighed as he contemplated how to do this, rubbing gently at his forehead. "He has. G.U.N. has had him locked up for at least five decades. Those dogs have no remorse, Rouge."

Rouge was surprised by the doctors words, extremely shocked at the almost sympathetic voice. She eyed the hedgehog once again with suspicion and then turned back to Eggman, placing a hand on her hip. "Well, obviously, this guy has something to do with you. Why do you care?" She asked, a tone of question once again in her voice.

Eggman had never let the other leave his vision, talking to her as he continued to watch him. "He's not your average hedgehog, Rouge. He is rightfully mine." Rouge gave him a confused look, allowing him to continue. "He was created by one of the greatest scientists of this known planet, and my grandfather, Gerald Robotnik. He was seized by those military bastards...seems he was successful getting away." The old doctor stood slowly and continued to watch Shadow, just wondering how much work went into that single hedgehog.

Eggman reached to his dashboard of the machine and pressed a large button, his voice booming over on the loudspeaker. "Do you remember Dr. Gerald, Shadow?"

Shadow stared up at the machine in a slight shock, his once raised arms dropping to his side. He continued to watch the cockpit in awe, and if he wasn't so caught off guard, he might of laughed; forget the doctor? How could he forget his own creator?

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He was awakened with a start, frantic eyes gazing around the foreign room. Everything was a sterile white, as if he was sitting in a hospital room. Crimson eyes looked wildly around the new surroundings, but they were quite sensitive. Shadow had no clue who he was or where he was, spending his first few moments awake alone...or, so he thought.

The first thing that the hedgehog noticed was that he could not move. And though he felt comfortable, he was a bit chilly. When Shadow took a gaze around his personal space, he found the answer. He seemed to be suspended in some form of liquid, which also explained the weight on his face. He was hooked up to an oxygen mask, and as he looked to his right he found a multitude of machines at his side.

Shadow, being new to the world, had no clue what he was to do. He simply continued to look around the room in amazement, until soft footsteps interrupted his thought. His ears flickered upwards as he turned his ears to the source, coming face to face to the man who created him.

Dr. Gerald Robotnik was a stout and slightly round man, dressed in a lab coat as white as the room around them. He had quite the large mustache above his upper lip, gray to show his age. And though he wore thick glasses to the point it was impossible to see his eyes, one could tell they had a warm reflection in them. As Shadow locked eyes with the professor, he had quite a face on. It was a mix of happiness, surprise, and amazement. He looked extremely proud of the work he'd done.

It didn't take long for Gerald to release the hedgehog from the tube that incubated him, wanting to get a look at him before anyone else. Shadow, being so new to everything, of course shook as he tried to walk. The doctor had helped by supporting him and smiled kindly, looking at the hedgehog behind the thick glasses.

"I am Gerald Robotnik, Shadow. You can say, your creator. You should be able to speak fine when you try, you are pretty much born with every function earth's creatures learn overtime. Shadow, you are one of a kind." He continued to help Shadow shift to be comfortable, letting the hedgehog take a look around the room. After a few moments of silence the doctor spoke again, raising a kind brow. "How do you feel, Shadow...?"

Shadow did not respond at first. His ruby eyes were too transfixed at the ARK's surroundings. Slowly he turned to his creator- No, his father, and smiled only slightly.

"Fine, Dr. Gerald. Fine."

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Shadow had snapped out of the flashback and stared back up at the machine in front of him, his ears lowering to the back of his head. He wondered how the other knew of the scientist, his eyes narrowing dangerously. As if Eggman was reading his mind he smirked slightly, the doctor appearing quite sinister.

"Allow me to introduce myself, Shadow. I am Doctor Ivo Robotnik, or Eggman as many know. I know a lot about you Shadow, more than you think." He continued, pacing back and forth within the chambers of the control room.

The hedgehog below continued to glare upwards at the machine, getting extremely bothered: How did he know Gerald? How did he know his own name? How did he know anything about him? Shadow continued to remain still and silent as he craved to know more, though he would never show it. Eggman took the hint and finally came to a stop, still glaring enticingly at the one below.

"I know that you were created by my grandfather, Shadow." He said, awaiting his reaction.

Shadow's ears once again twitched and pinned to his head, his mouth dropping a bit. '_What?_' He thought to himself, just in plain shock. Though he regained his posture quickly he was beginning to become much more nervous and uneasy, fearing the worst.

"You were taken from him after everyone on the ARK was murdered. You were locked up for 50 years in complete isolation from the outside world, little contact except those who stole you. They feared you, Shadow, so they hid you from humanity. They hid you from me." Eggman slammed his fists on the dashboard to intensify his statement, his brows lowering.

"I am the rightful heir of you, Shadow. They wanted to use you for things that were not necessary. They wanted you to die there, Shadow. But little did they know their plans were flawed; you're an immortal, Shadow. You cannot die by simply withering away." Eggman continued, the fear and confusion evident in Shadow's eyes. This new stranger did know a great deal on the hedgehog.

"They tried to starve you, they abused you, they tried to drive you insane. Do you wonder why you haven't aged for 50 years, Shadow? They knew if they didn't contain your age somehow you'd only get stronger. They developed ways to keep you as you as you are now. You are supposed to be over 50 years old. G.U.N. wanted to destroy you Shadow, as quietly as they could. The fact that didn't just shows that my grandfather's work was successful: you are the '_Ultimate Life Form_', Shadow."

This was a load of information Shadow was trying to process, and the hedgehog had actually began to shake. He wasn't sure if it was the bad feeling that was developing in the pit of his stomach, the crazed scientist before him, or the fact he knew almost every bit of his life. He continued to try and hold his composure but knew it wouldn't last long, his lips twisting into a contorted expression.

"I have my ways of getting my information, Shadow. I know the raw details of what happened to you. And with you as mine, we can destroy them, Shadow. We can destroy what those soldiers have done to you." As Eggman spoke, Shadow's lips began to tremble. Shadow was aware he was to snap at any moment, but Eggman continued. "So, Shadow. If you don't come with me, I'll just take you by force. You are rightfully mine!"

The next thing Shadow saw was the open fist of the robot's hand coming for him, though he easily dodged it. Even if he was weak with heavy chains around his neck, he refused to go with the Doctor. Yes, his offer sounded right, but in the end his gut feeling told him otherwise. And anyway, that meant sacrificing his freedom and more casualties...Shadow was unsure if he could handle anymore.

Shadow rolled away from the hand that grabbed for him, but when he came up he was facing many more difficulties. Approaching him were at least 3 Eggpawns, robotic minions willing to do what they could under Eggman's permission. Each looking determined to catch him. Shadow let out a silent growl as he charged at the first robot with surprising force. With the hardest punch that the weak hedgehog could muster he sent a fist flying to it's center, sending the robot's pieces flying through the air. Shadow panted and stared down at the ruble that was left before him, his eyes catching something extremely unexpected.

Ruby eyes had suddenly forgot about the robots coming straight for him, being far too captivated by a glint within the wreckage on the ground. As if another source was telling him to do so, his hand reached out to scatter the pieces further, revealing what was catching his attention. A chaos emerald, though it was dusty with soot, continued to gleam with a fascinating glow. Shadow's eyes immediately lit up as he took the gem within his hands, unable to explain the feeling he was getting. Was it nostalgia? Or perhaps, was it something entirely different. Shadow had been told about these a long time ago, and was fully aware of their value. But he felt as if something else was gripping him towards it, an unexplainable force.

Shadow had quickly remembered the situation he was in and looked upwards, only feet away from the two remaining robots racing towards him. In a quick response he flipped backwards and placed the emerald within his quills, turning towards the machines in front of him with ferocity. It didn't take long for the hedgehog to reduce them to the same piles of ash as the first one, his chest rising up and down quickly as he stared upwards at Eggman's machine.

The black hedgehog pulled the emerald in precise movement from it's place, gripping it as tight as he could while he closed his eyes. Shadow thought quickly and with a glow he disappeared, leaving the disgruntled scientist in an even bigger bout of rage.

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	5. Angel Island

Whoo, hi. XD

Well, here is the 5th chapter. I've been thinking a lot of about this story, and I'm trying to sort a lot of the chapters out. It's like, I know what I want to write, but I need to find a way to express it.

I'm weird.

Anyway, yeah. I was thinking about putting a sonadow lemon for this, but it wouldn't be posted here. It'd probably only go on the Sonadow website. You'll have to go there to read it, if I even make one. XP I don't know if I am, but I won't rule it out...

Anyway, enjoy. x) Got nothing really else to say. D

**Name**: 'Chained By Love'

**Rating**: Teen/PG-13 (might go up)

**Pairings**: SonicxShadow, possible KnuxRouge

**Warning**: Male/Male relationship; don't read if you don't like it

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Shadow, whose eyes were tightly shut, shot his lids open and gazed at his surroundings. He was just amazed he made it out alive. Shadow had just inspired his first sense of chaos, his eyes gazing at his surroundings. He was mesmerized. He had always had heard Gerald speak of the magnificent stones. Now Shadow had not only held the gem of energy, but had actually used it. For a moment the hedgehog looked to the sky longingly, only to be surprised at what he saw.

Where ever the hedgehog transferred was day break. He had just changed from very early morning to daytime, obviously out of the range he was in before. Shadow had gazed around the foreign territory in deeper interest, in a hope of any hint to tell him where he flashed to.

The area was definitely filled with the greenest of plants and trees. Shadow automatically thought of a jungle judging by the colorful surroundings. Shadow certainly wasn't in the forest he once was in. The hedgehog had a chance to release a sigh of relief, happy to escape both of their clutches, at least for a little while. But Shadow was also weary of the area, taking a few steps forward.

As he continued to walk as silent and fast as he could, he began to think of the possible dangers of staying here. Anyone could of be here, even present and future enemies. But at the moment, Shadow couldn't ask for anything more; this probably would be the last place, hopefully, that either GUN or Eggman would enter. Shadow needed the seclusion for as long as it could last, at least from them.

Shadow had broke out into a light run with the shiftiest of eyes, looking anywhere for a fine hiding place. As he continued on his jog, he had gazed in front of himself and had to smirk a bit, finding the best of destinations. As he kept racing something bright caught his ruby eyes, spotting something very unusual on the deep green.

Shadow pulled back and had crept to the interesting leaf, his hands grabbing at the azure strands stuck to the plant. His eyes narrowed dangerously, feeling the soft texture of fur...

At this point, Shadow knew he certainly wasn't alone.

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From the deepest of the plant life, a hardy laugh escaped the jungle. The smirk on Sonic's face had grown wider, his speeding pace rustling the bushes in the process. He was playing hide-and-go-seek with Knuckles and Tails and as usual, the blue hedgehog was winning. With steady and precise footing he continued to jut forward, never keeping a permanent hiding place. He'd only stay there for a few seconds and then dart off to a new location, only to further confuse his friends.

Sonic didn't know why they continued to do this; in the speed department, Sonic was impossible to catch. Not that he counted, but he didn't doubt he won most of the times they played. The hero would always be the first to bring up the suggestion, and they always agreed. Sonic didn't mind and they didn't seem to either. They usually had a good amount of fun.

Sonic had to snicker, a confident air in his strut. Sonic was the champion of this game!

In the next situation that happened, Sonic obviously jinxed himself. He continued to walk with his large ego and was found by Knuckles, the scarlet echidna grabbing the hedgehog around the waist and holding him captive, knowing Sonic would go off into a bit of a stubborn rage. Knuckles had easily held him over his head even after the blue hedgehog pleaded, who wriggled to escape the other's clutches.

"Let me go!" Sonic cried, hating when his friend did this.

Knuckles had only chuckled and shook his head, it not taking long for Tails to join their sides. Tails had laughed at what he saw and smiled, the two tails behind waving about. "Hey, Sonic," the small fox laughed lightly, continuing. "best player, right? You walked right into us!"

Sonic looked quite grumpy as he stopped wriggling and was placed on the ground, landing nicely but with an annoyed look on his face. "Oh, be quiet..." Sonic had felt quite embarrassed but had quickly re cooperated, a smirk etching his peach lips. "Better luck next time, right?" He chuckled and had straightened himself up, looking around. "What are we to do now?" Asked the blue hedgehog, hoping for the other two to shrug the incident off.

Much to the hero's annoyance, the scarlet echidna's lips stretched into a smirk, his dagger-like teeth gleaming. "How about kicking your ass again at that game you, '_mastered_'." He said, adding emphasis to the last word. Sonic narrowed his eyes and was about to retort, though a beeping from Tails had distracted them.

The two who bickered looked towards the small fox, who was currently checking the source of the noise. The reason for the sound was a black and inconspicuous watch on his wrist. He blinked and had looked from the watch to his friends, looking surprised. "The plane's detectors seemed to have found a Chaos Emerald."

Both Knuckles and Sonic had looked at each other in surprise yet in amazing luck. Sonic was the first to chime in. "No way!" He looked quite happy, brushing his shoulder off casually. "Well, what do you expect with my luck?" He said, giving a cocky sigh.

Knuckles snorted at his attitude and had walked forward, shaking his head. "Not this, I can assure." Sonic once again was about to reply but Tails had cut him off again, not wanting to hear their fighting.

"It's on the other side of the island." He looked back from the watch to the horizon, turning to them. "It says it is in that general area..."

Sonic had grinned once again and stretched his leg to the back of his head, readying himself for a run. "Well, you know what that means..." He sighed but his eyes suddenly lit up, taking off like a rocket. "RACE YOU GUYS THERE!"

Knuckles and Tails watched him and the echidna shook his head, giving a strong sigh. "Is everything a game to him?" The more he thought about it the more and more he felt the emerald, knowing that Tails plane's senses were correct. Tails had smiled and watched his best friend run into the distance, giving a modest shrug.

"That's Sonic for you." He said, giving a happy laugh.

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Sonic had chuckled once again and took a deep breath, never really having a situation where he didn't enjoy running. The blue hedgehog closed his eyes as he continued on the track, loving the feeling he was getting. His whole body felt as if he was blending with the winds brushing past him, thankful for having such a rare ability. As of now, no one could run as fast as the hedgehog.

He pushed forward with his strong stride, way ahead of his counterparts at this point. He looked behind himself in interest. He was not to worry though, since they really could catch up easily if he let them. Sonic had moved his gaze back to in front of him and noticed a hole within a deep stone mountain, raising an eyebrow.

Sonic had never taken interest to this particular cave on Angel Island until now. A notion within him was telling him to explore it. And anyway, it did look like a nice spot for a hiding space. Sonic had continued forward into the extremely cold darkness of the cave, coming to a slower pace.

As soon as he entered, he noticed the dramatic temperature change, not expecting it to be so cold. He continued forward with searching eyes as a glow upon the floor had tempted his vision, a smile etching on his face.

He triumphantly walked closer to it and grasped the ruby jewel in his hand, his eye brow raising. "Well, that was certainly easier than I thought." He chuckled and threw the emerald into the air, expecting to catch it. Instead was caught completely off surprise and was dragged to the floor, the gem hitting the ground.

Sonic was relieved that it was so strong it could not shatter, but was then switched to the thought of what brought him down. His eyes got wider as they looked behind him, seeing the angriest pair of crimson eyes gazing right back at him.

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Rate and Review!


	6. Screwed Once Again

Yeah, sorry this is a day late. xX; I'm trying my best. XD

Anyway, I have an update: I have a job! I'll try to not let this interfere with my writing, and it most likely won't. At least I hope so. xx; This is kind of late due to the fact I haven't been feeling well lately. / But it's nothing to worry about.

Alright, I'll shut up. Enjoy the story.

**Name**: 'Chained By Love'

**Rating**: Teen/PG-13 (might go up)

**Pairings**: SonicxShadow, possible KnuxRouge

**Warning**: Male/Male relationship; don't read if you don't like it

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Now, Sonic had never really scared easily. After facing many enemies, robots, and plots to destroy the world, Sonic was able to keep his head above the situation. But as he laid on the cold stone floor, his feet tightly captured, and with someone looking quite pissed at him, he was at least slightly nervous.

Shadow, on the other hand, was quite angry. No, he wasn't angry; he was _pissed_. He silently growled and narrowed his eyes, surprisingly lifting his hands from the ankles of the other. Just when Sonic thought he could of escaped he was shocked by the other's speed, Shadow towered right over the blue hedgehog and revealed himself in the light. Sonic had gazed upon the thin and ragged looking hedgehog, scanning over his body with still fearful eyes. Eventually, after enduring Shadow's death glare for longer than he wanted, he let out a soft laugh.

"Well, hello to you too, bud. I've never had a greeting like that before..." Sonic had expected a response but got none other than Shadow's lids narrowing further, his mouth twitching to reveal the smallest of fangs. Though they could be said to be tiny, they still looked sharp. Sonic, not knowing what much else to do, had began inching away the best he could. He prayed the other hedgehog would not notice as he slowly grabbed for the emerald once again.

Shadow had indeed saw and had surprised the hero again, this time pouncing on top of him. Sonic gave a yelp of surprise following silence, his emerald eyes widening. He was now being choked by the streaked hedgehog on top of him, completely caught off surprise. Sonic gave a pained gasp. He struggled from beneath the other and placed his hands on his arms, trying to rip them off him. He could not, even in the other hedgehog's weakened state. His face was being flushed from the loss of air and he was beginning to panic, knowing he probably didn't have much longer remaining awake.

The black hedgehog smirked at the one under him, thinking it was foolish for him to be struggling. Shadow by far had the upper hand and at this point all attempts to escape were pointless. He did not budge from above him and remained straddling him, his fingers pressing on the other's air pipe. His chains had swayed from the other's flailing movements, Shadow shaking his head. Shadow had no intentions of killing the hedgehog under him, how angry he was. He did want to knock him out and rough him up a bit, but not kill him. It would only be a little while longer for the other to pass out, but someone else had interfered on his plans.

Shadow had heard a few footsteps in front of him and looked up, not expecting what was coming next. The red echidna in front of him had punched the black hedgehog straight in the face as hard as he could. Due to the force of the hit, Shadow let go of the one below him. Soon the black creature had tumbled off him in a knocked-out heap, his nose causing a small river of blood on the floor.

Sonic had gasped for air and drew it in thankfully, letting his head hit the ground gently. He rubbed at his neck and glared at the echidna angrily, sitting up as his now harsh voice entered the cave. "It took you long enough! He almost choked me to death!"

Knuckles had ignored the other's complaining and walked over to the black hedgehog, turning him over with his foot. He raised an eyebrow at the body before him, looking at the blue hedgehog. "What did you do to him to piss him off?"

The blue hedgehog rose up and looked angrily at the other before him. "Nothing!" The echidna gave him a look of disbelief, amethyst eyes boring holes into him. Sonic sighed at the look and rolled his eyes, giving a soft shrug. "Okay...I think he thought I was taking the emerald from him." Knuckles scoffed at this and just then Tails had entered the cave as well, his blue eyes immediately switching to the hedgehog on the floor.

"...What happened?" He simply asked, going closer.

Sonic, his voice sounding better, explained the situation again. "I found the emerald on the floor of the cave and went over to take it. Just then, he pulled me to the floor and just glared at me. I decided, for my own safety, to back away and grab the emerald to run away. But all the sudden, he started to choke me! And then Knuckles came in and knocked him out."

Tails inspected him and looked him over, happy that he was out cold. He raised a brow at the chains on his neck and his current condition, looking to the two behind him. "He doesn't look like he had it easy. I'm guessing that emerald was his and he thought you were stealing it, Sonic."

Sonic looked at the hedgehog as well and felt a little bad, knowing maybe he shouldn't of done that. He sighed and rubbed at the back of his head. "What should we do with him? We can't just leave him here..."

Knuckles raised an eyebrow and then looked to Shadow, his eyes narrowing. "Why do you care? He did choke you, or did you forget?"

Sonic looked to the one who was unconscious. As he gazed upon the figure below him, he had a feeling he sort of needed to. He was obviously starved and tired, and he only acted on some sort of self defense. He looked at the two before him and shrugged. "Whatever. I'm a hero, you guys!" He smirked, placing a hand on his hip. "And I wouldn't be living up to my duties if I didn't take him. The least I can do is help him out after trying to take his emerald..."

The two others shrugged and Knuckles had picked up the light hedgehog, placing him over his shoulder. He knew Sonic was weak hearted for saving the lives of others, even with a misunderstanding such as this. The red echidna sighed as he looked to the limp hedgehog in his arms, wondering what they got themselves into.

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The next time Shadow opened his eyes, it took him a bit to adjust to the faint light. His head quickly lifted as he remembered the last events. He rubbed at his swollen nose and could tell it had bled a good amount. He slowly let his hand drop to the ground and then just noticed the strange surface. This was certainly not the floor he laid upon before.

Slowly he sat up and took a look around the room and his eyes widened, taking a shaky breath. He was definitely not in the forest. He looked down and then noticed he was resting upon a small blanket and a pillow, but he barely even cared. His scarred hands grasped the blanket under him and clenched as hard as he could, trying to control his anger. Shadow's nose flared and his eyes narrowed as he bit his lip, almost breaking the skin.

In his eyes, Shadow was right back where he started.

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Sonic had risen a few hours later from his sleep, looking at the clock. It was 9:00 AM on the dot, so he raised an impressed eyebrow. He was always an early bird. He lifted his back from his bed and took a look around the small room he called his own. The room's walls were tinted a light blue with a navy border, the carpet also a lush dark blue. The bed's fabric was a soft cotton, so crisp and fresh to the touch. It was also a light blue, obviously the hedgehogs favorite color. He had a random assortment of items in his room since the blue hedgehog always had been interested in a collection of things. Some of them, though not many, were given by random fans. These items Sonic had secretly cherished the most, and once in a while he'd find himself staring at them and thinking quietly.

The blue hero laid back down and stretched his body fully, scratching lazily at his side. It didn't take him long to stand and do a few more stretches, finding his way into the completely white bathroom. It was simple yet reasonably clean, Sonic being quite careless at times. The hedgehog looked at himself in the mirror and drew sleep bothered quills back, a smirk etching on his face. Emerald eyes gave himself a wink as he jumped into the shower, getting ready to start the new day.

After a quick shower the hedgehog was downstairs in the kitchen in no time, rubbing a towel through his damp quills. He gave a sigh as he made his way closer to the basement door, until a strange noise made him stop. From behind the door he just was about to open, it sounded as if a lot of heavy objects were being tossed around. It sounded like someone was in a powerful rage as well. He looked at it suspiciously as he heard things thrown around and clashing, and suddenly he remembered the source of the noise.

That's were they left the unnamed hedgehog to rest, knowing that he wouldn't be too happy when he awoke. He certainly wasn't before they knocked him out. He rubbed at his still sore neck as he contemplated on what to do, knowing he was, as of now, the only one awake in the house. The black and red streaked hedgehog was passed out for three days, and this was the first sign of movement he gave. They'd only check on him once in a while to see if he had awoken, anticipating on what he'd do.

Now Sonic wished he didn't wake up.

Sonic was still holding the towel he needed to dispose in the laundry, which was conveniently placed downstairs. Great, just his luck.

But why was he worrying! He was Sonic the hedgehog! Honestly, from what he saw, he could easily take the other on. It would be a piece of cake. Sonic smirked but took a deep breath, slinging the towel over his arm. He slowly made his way to the door and turned the nob, opening it cautiously. With slow yet sturdy feet he made his way closer down the stairs, but as he got halfway he stopped when he got a good look at the basement's surroundings.

Shadow gave the new place quite the beating, for boxes were sprawled across the room. Some were thrown, ripped at, and Sonic guessed that objects were broken due to the other's anger. The blanket and pillow, though only slightly, seemed to have been ripped at but were still usable. And there was the culprit of all the destruction, the red streaked hedgehog with his heaving chest and quills in disarray. Ruby eyes turned to look into emerald with a crazy glare, and the hedgehog baring his fangs with a growl. He turned towards the blue hedgehog who had clear shock on his face and stood only for a second, not taking long to leap at the hero.

Sonic, who had just as fast of a reaction, rolled up his towel and threw it at him. Shadow was hit in the face with a wet towel, only blinked for a moment. This gave Sonic the time to get away, making his way up the stairs in a flash. The black hedgehog growled and scrambled after him, a frown on his face as he just missed grabbing his foot. He was met with a slamming door instead, automatically scratching at it. He soon scratched at the ground under the door, his nails making small marks on the wood floor.

The blue hedgehog's chest rose as he locked the door, leaning against it limply. He looked down at the hands below and pushed off the wood, staring down with a harden expression. He sighed and placed a hand over his eyes; this would not be easy.

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	7. Getting Somewhere

I was afraid I wasn't going to get this up today, but I did! Whoo!

Anyway, first things first; I had someone tell me this is a slow story. And I'm quite aware. I did say this was going to be longer, it might even be more than expected. I promise, promise, PROMISE, it will get better in the future. Much more romance, much more drama, much more of everything. -wink-

Anyway, I'm pretty satisfied with this chapter. It's the first my editor didn't have to change anything, and he says it was the best so far. I don't know, you be the judge.

And about the chains and Shadow's past and such, it will be explained in a the next few chapters. I promise that too.

Alright, enjoy.

**Name**: 'Chained By Love'

**Rating**: Teen/PG-13 (might go up)

**Pairings**: SonicxShadow, possible KnuxRouge

**Warning**: Male/Male relationship; don't read if you don't like it

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When Knuckles came downstairs to get a cup of coffee, he was shocked at what he saw. If he didn't just wake up, he might of broken into a fit of laughter. At the moment, the couch, the kitchen chairs, and other random furniture was piled up against the basement door. And there was Sonic, with a bat in his hand, standing in front of the door with his quills standing.

The echidna blinked at this, watching his friend in amazement. "What...are you doing!" He asked, his eyes wide.

Sonic finally noticed his friend. He turned around with his emerald eyes just as wide as the other. He relaxed as he saw who it was, giving a shrug. "The mystery hedgehog has officially flipped out. I think he tried to kill me again!" He said, a deep frown set on his muzzle.

Knux had rolled his eyes, shifting his weight onto one leg and placing a hand on his hip. "Are you over exaggerating, Sonic?"

The blue hedgehog shook his head. "No, I'm serious. I'm a dead man if I go downstairs, Knuckles."

The echidna turned towards the kitchen and grabbed a mug from the cabinet, turning a pot of coffee on. "Well, we're going to have to open it sooner or later; we can't let him starve down there. He's probably hungry as hell. Not to mention, he's extremely dirty. We need to help him out. You said so yourself!"

Sonic slowly put the bat behind his back, looking at his shoes innocently. "That was before he wanted to kill me, though..." Sonic knew that his friend was correct, but was a bit nervous. He did not like that look from the other. He could understand why he was angry though, and he would have to try his best to prove that he meant little harm. He was a hero, anyway! It was his job to help others. "I know, I know. You're right for once, Knux." He only teased, but the echidna gave him a look.

"Yeah, says the one afraid of a little hedgehog. A guy who faces an evil scientist all the time, but a hedgehog scares the crap out of him." When his coffee was finished, he poured it into the mug and took a sip after blowing on it. "I'm surprised at you, Sonic." He said, in a soft, mocking voice.

The hedgehog glared at his counterpart, crossing his arms after he placed the bat away. "Shut up. We both know Dr. Eggman is a breeze." He rolled his eyes. "But that hedgehog certainly isn't. I think he may even be as fast as me! I can't believe it." He said, rubbing his chin. "How is that possible? I thought I was the only one..."

Knuckles shrugged, continuing to drink the cup within his grasp. "Maybe you met your match, Sonic the Hedgehog." He smirked at Sonic's annoyed reaction, finishing the hot liquid and placing the cup in the sink. "Well, if you're too chicken to go down there, I will."

Sonic growled a bit, pushing the other as he pulled away from his spot. "I'm not chicken! I just want to keep my life, thank you." He said, grabbing a glass himself. Hating coffee, he filled his glass with water, sticking his tongue out at the other before he took a gulp. Knuckles rolled his eyes and stretched, making his way to the door. He easily moved the furniture away with his strength, raising an eyebrow at his counterpart.

"Make sure you move everything back to it's place." He opened the door and smirked at the blue hedgehog, raising an eyebrow. "Wish me luck!"

Sonic crossed his arms and bit his lip. "Good luck, Knuckles." And with that, the door slammed closed without any argument.

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Shadow sat down in the cool basement, his eyes narrowed in the strongest distaste.

Great; just his luck that he landed in such a place. Right back to where he just was, in his eyes. He had to say, it was much better, but he still did not have his freedom. He was unsure what they wanted him here for, but he didn't care. He refused to listen, he wouldn't budge to the end.

He sat against the cement wall and looked across his mess, satisfied with his work. The basement, though it was cool, had a comfortable temperature. The walls were cement, but the floor was lightly carpeted. It was a deep red color with some black line designs on it, nothing interesting to say the least. Currently, it had pieces of debris scattered across it. The three upstairs left Shadow with a blanket and a pillow to curl up with, and even a bottle of water. He eagerly drank that up, his whole throat dry from the long sleep. But now he was hungry, hoping that those who captured him would feed him eventually.

He shuddered at the thought having to live in a prison again. His crimson eyes, droopy from defeat, had looked upon the door. Did fate want him to suffer this badly? Hadn't he paid enough? He placed his hands upon his face and rubbed them into his eyes gently. Now he'd have to figure a way out of here, as well. He was getting weaker and weaker though, and Shadow was unsure how much longer he could run.

His thoughts were interrupted though when the creak of a door rang in his ears. His eyes immediately shifted towards the source, seeing the light of the upper level. The next thing he saw was the door close behind whoever opened it, a low growl sounding within his throat. He then saw the red echidna make his way down the stairs with a strict look on his face, the both of them having a stare-down.

Shadow did not flinch even as Knuckles came closer, who looked around the room with a blank face. He raised an eyebrow, looking upon the streaked hedgehog as he crossed his arms. "You did a nice number on this place." Shadow continued to stare the echidna down without moving or making a sound, his breath shallow and quiet. Shadow wouldn't lie and say he wasn't intimidated by the strong echidna; his nose was still in pain.

Knuckles, getting irritated, tapped his foot on the floor. "Do you have a name...?"

There continued to be silence on the hedgehog's part, and the only response he got was a blink.

The echidna didn't budge and started to list random options. "A family, friends, past? Anything?"

This actually caused Shadow to turn his head away, breaking the eye contact he held with the other. Did Knuckles see a sense of pain in his eyes before he looked away? He didn't bring it up as he gave a soft sigh, leaning in front of the hedgehog. "You look like you've been through a lot, hedgehog. No doubt about it. I just want to tell you that none of us here mean any harm, including Sonic..." Shadow remembered the blue hedgehog and frowned a bit, but allowed the other to continue. "We plan to help you get better, and hopefully, you can leave as soon as that happens."

Shadow's ears sprang up at the last few words of the sentence, looking back up at the echidna. Did he mean that?

Knuckles smirked a bit, shrugging. "Now we're getting somewhere. Here, I'll shake on it, hedgehog. I keep my promises." He let out his hand to the other and Shadow could only stare at it, narrowing his eyes. Should he trust the other? His life was in his hands, anyway. Slowly but surprisingly Shadow took the hand in his own, feeling the other shake it. It was new to Shadow but he allowed him to, taking it back slowly.

"First thing is first though, bud; you need a bath."

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Shadow forgot the last time he had ever bathed.

Even if he had before, showering on the ARK was so much different. Knuckles had closed the door to his back minutes ago but he still stood quietly in the same spot, gazing around the walls.

It was painted with white walls and yellow designs, Shadow being unsure who's shower it was. As he stepped into the walled off area and closed the foggy door, he shivered as his back softly hit the tiles behind him. It was more long than wide, so anyone in it was slightly cramped. He turned the nozzle for cool water and felt it splash on his cheeks, his eyes closing. It was so new yet a missed feeling, his body now ridged with the cool liquid.

His eyes eventually opened as he stared up to the shower head with a blank look, and one could swear that his thoughts seemed somewhere else. His memories were beginning to flood his mind. He saw hundreds of images sliding into his head and he tried his hard to fight it, lowering his gaze to the floor. As he dropped his head his quills sagged downwards, hiding his face. If one was to peer upon his features they'd easily mistaken the droplets of water on his face as tears. Or were they just that?

As his eyes were looking downward and his hands fell to the sides of the wall, they immediately looked at the chains. So tight and scabbing at his neck and wrists, the chains adding such extra weight. They dragged on the floor, so heavily rusted, and yet so easy to break in his grasp. If he really tried, his bare hands could crack them. He ran a hand down them, so tempted to free himself; yet he didn't. He let his hand let go.

He couldn't rid of them They were the powerful yet carved in reminder of how his life went wrong. The reason why the ARK fell. The reason for why Gerald died. And last, the reason why Maria perished as well. His heart sagged at the thought of her.

He'd make himself wear them to the day he died.

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Rate and Review!


	8. Prisoner of his Chains or his Mind?

Whoo, this is such a good chapter. I'm actually excited to see your reactions. I think this is the best chapter I wrote for this story, and that's saying a lot; I've been picky with this one.

A lot of things have been going on in my life currently. Many, many things. Actually, a lot of things that are upsetting me aren't even happening to me. It's been happening to my friends. My editor is having a hard time with stuff right now, but he is still willing to edit this. He's the best.

I've really only found one thing that's been helping me feel better. And it's so simple:

Listening to Techno.

That's what I've been doing recently. It's just so...addicting. I'm still into my rock, but that genre currently has me caught.

Also, I got my first flame ever. She said I was a 'freak'. I feel proud! You can find it in the reviews, actually.

Anyway, enough about me. Read and enjoy!

**Name**: 'Chained By Love'

**Rating**: Teen/PG-13 (might go up)

**Pairings**: SonicxShadow, possible KnuxRouge

**Warning**: Male/Male relationship; don't read if you don't like it

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As Shadow slowly stepped out of the shower, he wrapped the towel Knuckles left around him. He nuzzled into the warm, absorbing cloth. It has been so long since he had a chance to clean himself. As he did, he discovered more scars than he ever noticed before. Under the grime of his coat was soft and sleek fur, yet many past healed cuts existed all over him. Many of them were covered by his fur or they were faint, yet Shadow could still notice them.

He placed himself in front of the bathroom mirror and examined his thin frame. He wiped the fog of the small reflector and gazed into his eyes. They did not appear as tired before since he rested but he remained just as thin, not eating in quite sometime. His ribs showed through his loose skin and he sighed, not wanting to look at himself anymore. The chains drooped in the sink and he quickly pulled away, wanting to explore the house as much as he could.

Shadow had slowly opened the door, the towel dropped long ago in the bathroom. He was surprised when his foot hit a soft carpet, feeling the plush texture on his feet. Such a feeling was new to him and he found it quite nice and comfortable. Though the carpet's color was bland the feeling was not, Shadow getting used to it. He rubbed his foot into the rug but then continued on.

Soon the silent hedgehog found himself at a long hallway after he left the bathroom. On his left, he simply found one door. But when he turned his head to the right, he saw exactly four doors. There was two to each sides of the wall, one facing the other. He didn't know who they belonged to but he guessed it was to those who found him before. Right between the left and the right hallways was a stairwell. Shadow decided to go down them.

When Shadow reached the end of the stairs, the only sound in the room was the clinking of his chains. He went to the edge and looked around the wide living space, his eyes large. The owners of this house had to have a great deal of money. The whole house was spotlessly white, with wide open windows. The windows, which were from the wall to the floor, had looked out to the woods for miles. Shadow could simply stand in front of it to see everything he wanted to see. They had a couch set with a matching chair, and a few tables here and there made from light wood. The carpet, which stopped at the end of the stairs, was an off yellow. There was a wide TV with a full entertainment set, many impressive trinkets that Shadow was unfamiliar with.

That was only when Shadow looked to his left. When he turned to his right, he found something very helpful; a kitchen. Their kitchen was, like many places of the house, completely white. It had a few pieces of out of place colors, but not much. The tiles, the refrigerator, the stove, and the cabinets were a stark-white. Shadow had to say, that for three guys living alone, they did a damn nice job cleaning.

To the center of Shadow was the only table that seemed to be in the room, looking quite out of place. It was an old, dark wooden table. It had a few scratches in it, but it was still finely polished. Shadow walked over to it and rubbed a bare hand over the surface. It was smooth and sleek; Shadow liked how it felt. No one else seemed to be in the room as of now. Shadow decided to continue his exploration.

He wasn't sure if they'd be comfortable with him roaming the house alone, but he honestly didn't care. He continued into the den, examining the TV. He hadn't seen one of these in so long, and in the last 50 years, they had greatly improved. He blinked, staring at the shiny screen and then to the buttons. He pressed the power button and was surprised by the screen, not expecting it to flash on so quickly. He stared at it in amazement and then decided to press the button again, and then again. He continued to do this for a few moments and then left it on. He moved to the other buttons, playing around with them with a curious face. He would of continued but he heard the footsteps of another, so he abruptly stopped.

Shadow looked around frantically until he saw a spot to the side of the couch, quickly running towards it. He curled up tightly into a ball but stayed alert, not wanting to get caught. Even if once before he did not care if they saw him snooping around, now he was suddenly having second thoughts. He barely knew these people! He needed to be at least a little cautious.

He heard the footsteps getting louder and then turn towards the kitchen. He peaked his head out from the side of the furniture, just to see who it was. It was the small fox with two tails making himself a glass of water, a soft hum coming from his throat. Shadow was slightly relieved, but not just yet. He still wasn't in the basement. He looked to the door of the downstairs and narrowed his eyes, slowly moving his feet. He began creeping closer and closer to the door until he was almost there. He looked to the fox, who was still too occupied in the kitchen to notice. He came to the door, placing his hand on it, until the voice of Tails rung through the house.

"Hey! I didn't expect you up here..." Said the young kitnsune happily, smiling at the hedgehog before him.

Shadow had came to abrupt halt, cursing his luck. He was so close to being left alone. He slowly turned to the other with a blank face, curiously blinking. The small fox made his way closer with a small grin, shifting his head to the side.

"Did you take a shower?" He asked kindly. Shadow surprisingly slowly nodded, looking down at his coat. It was certainly much cleaner than before, and the wounds that were fresh only days ago were now either healed or almost there. His bruises disappeared, and Shadow thanked the heavens for being such a fast healer. Tails took a sip of his glass of water and looked at it as he finished it, blinking. He then quickly looked to the hedgehog and jumped a bit, giving a wag of both his tails. "Oh! Would you like anything?" Tails had noticed that he was frighteningly thin, so he knew that it would be best for him to have a meal. Shadow had nodded, but he was cautious. Suspicions aside, this was true; he needed a bite to eat.

Tails had walked to the kitchen and Shadow followed, feeling the smooth yet cool surface of the tiles. He gazed around until Tails caught his attention again, the small fox opening the fridge. "You can take whatever you want. Help yourself." He said with a smile.

Shadow looked at him in disbelief. Maybe this place wouldn't be so terrible.

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Shadow had eaten himself too full, and that was saying a lot.

He was surprised there was anything left in the kitchen when he was finished. He raided the fridge, the cabinets, pretty much the whole kitchen with the small canine watching in disbelief. The black hedgehog had a much needed feast to himself, not being picky. He ate anything that was edible without a second thought.

Now he laid in the basement, his stomach full, and his mind clear. He laid his back to the soft, plush blanket, his head comfortable on the pillow. He closed his crimson eyes and rubbed at his stomach, slowly turning onto his side. As he did so he quickly shot up in pain. He blinked, looking down to his neck. It was still hurting from all the swallowing he did. He rubbed at it, fingers feeling the cool metal collar clenched around the wound. It hadn't bled in sometime but he wouldn't be surprised if it did now. You'd think he'd be used to such a feeling since he had it for so many years.

He sat up and loosely placed his arms around his knees, his lids drooping a bit. The pain never got easier, actually. It only got worse. He wouldn't be surprised if it was infected by now due to the rust collecting on the metal. The chains themselves were slowly deteriorating, along with the cuffs around his wrists. He eyed the metal bracelets with a mingle of hate and sadness, running his fingers along it as well.

'_Why do I still keep these on_?' He asked himself. When was the last time he heard himself speak?

Shadow could only imagine how his voice sounded now. If he did take them off, could he ever speak again? Would he be forever mute? He wouldn't be surprised if he was. His voice box was the part sliced; he was lucky it wasn't his throat. Not only that, but the very chains were preventing the wound from closing and healing. If they weren't there, his body could of easily healed it like the many other wounds he received in his lifetime. But G.U.N. was smart. They knew how to prevent that.

Shadow hung his head and stared at his feet for a few moments. '_I deserve it, though_.' were the soft words that ran through his mind. He froze for a moment, and then raised his head. He looked to the wall in front of him and let his eyes travel to the small, rectangle window above. The night sky was painted with delicate stars staring back at him. Looking at them, his heart dropped

Oh, how he could never forget when he lived up there. Even if it was 50 years ago when he lived on the Space Colony ARK, so many memories were still fresh in his mind. If it was the tests to improve mankind, Dr. Gerald, or...Maria. His eyes closed as if he was hit, his shoulders haunching forward. The thought of her hurt the most. The fair and blonde girl was his best friend for the time he stayed there; how could he ever forget her? Her striking blue eyes were still so crisp in his heart.

She was the real reason he remained his own prisoner of the chains. He had failed her. He had let her get hurt; not only that, let her get killed. He crossed his arms over his knees and tucked his face away, feeling fresh tears dampen the corner of his eyes. He was so glad no one could see him. His thin frame shook slightly as he thought over just how he got himself in such a mess.

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It had been only a few months since the ARK was raided, taken under seize, and everyone on the ship was murdered. There was only one survivor, and that was Shadow the Hedgehog.

Currently, the black creature was sitting tied to a large and battered chair, looking pretty beat up himself. Due to the struggle he put up a few minutes before, he had some fresh bruises and cuts covering his older ones. One of his eyes was swelling due to a direct hit, and a rather large gash was bleeding on his side. He twitched once in a while as he struggled against the binds holding him down, his wrists bleeding freshly from the rope being too tight. He gritted his teeth whenever he heard a noise and would quickly turn his head, being extremely paranoid.

He sat there for a few minutes until he was startled with a set of footsteps, looking towards the source of the sound.

The footsteps froze as they encountered the table in front of them, the room filling with quiet. Shadow once again was startled to the point where he jumped in his chair as hands hit the table. They were weathered and aged, yet you could tell they were strong. Shadow did not look unnerved though as he continued to stare them down with angry eyes. His chest was rising heavily, but he was silent except for his breath. He bared his teeth as he saw eyes look back at him, though they never revealed their face.

"Enjoying your stay, Project?" Said a cool voice, their strange eyes narrowed. It was the first time Shadow ever saw someone with two colored eyes; one was brown and the other was blue.

Shadow only scoffed at such a question, answering with a tired voice. "What do you think the answer is?"

The one looking back at him laughed coldly, shaking his head. As he did so, multiple sets of footsteps joined the room. He didn't look fazed as the owners of the steps came behind Shadow, tucking themselves away in the darkness. Shadow looked back at them, unable to see them as well, getting extremely frustrated. He turned back to the person speaking to him with a snarl, growling dangerously. "What are you trying to gain? Can't I suffer by myself!" He cried, bitting his lip. The hedgehog, at this point, was on the verge of a breakdown.

The heterochromatic eyes glared back at him, and Shadow could see them give a swift roll of their shoulders. "There is a meaning to this...little get-together." Shadow was getting irritated at the fact he couldn't see whoever was talking to him, it made him extremely uneasy. But he continued to watch him with racing thoughts, his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Well, first off, you are looking at the man who planned the seize of the ARK." He said.

It certainly got a reaction from the hedgehog, who suddenly lashed uncontrollably. Sudden adrenaline rushed to him as he actually broke from his reigns. But even before he could use his powerful speed, he was force-fully pushed back in his chair by the shoulders. He was far too weak to react from the previous fight he had before. Before he could even react to that he felt a cool metal to his neck, one that was certainly sharp. He looked down and saw quite a large knife pressed to his throat. He only breathed lightly, too afraid of slicing his neck.

He stared back at the man in hate, a growl coming from his throat. "You're a monster..." He said, his eyes closing as he tried to shake off the terrible feeling he had. He looked back down at the man in the shadows, his chest rising in quick anger.

The other laughed loudly, giving him a cruel look. "I'm the monster? You're the reason this all started, Project. You're a mutant of nature, you're not even a real living bean. You're a jumble of genetics." That hit Shadow; hard. He didn't respond, allowing him to continue. "You're the reason why we even came up to the station. Gerald long ago stopped giving us updates on you when we wanted to use you for...other means. Because of that, we had to have him taken care of and any one else who associated with you." Said the voice, suddenly looking quite bored with him.

"You see, we gave Dr. Robotnik warnings, Project. But he chose to ignore them. We told him we very easily could take over the base, even if we were forbidden to. You see, such rules don't faze us here at G.U.N., biohog." Shadow was becoming more and more annoyed at the fact he didn't use his name, and especially the fact they continued to remind him he wasn't 'natural'. "Your beloved creator wasn't following our rules, Project. He got what was coming for him."

Shadow, not even regarding the knife to his neck, had growled and struggled slightly in the other's grip. The soldiers only responded by grabbing some of his head quills and pulling his head back, exposing his neck more. Shadow snarled at them slightly, but looked back to the one in front of him with angered eyes. "What you wanted to do was probably evil," he said, the smirk on the other's face growing. "he probably didn't want to work with the likes of you."

"That precious professor of yours had two options: work with us, hand in his information, and let us do what we pleased with you. Or he could of died. He took the ladder of the options, hedgehog." Was all he said blankly, the hands on the table toying with the air.

Shadow narrowed his eyes, his heart dropping. "Even if that may be the case, why did you kill everyone else..." He continued on, not caring about the knife to his flesh. "Why did you kill those innocent people just doing their jobs? Their children? Why didn't you leave them to survive and move on with their lives?" Shadow didn't think that killing the professor was right, not in the slightest bit. But the workers too? Maria...? His heart officially hit his stomach at the thought of her. He was holding back tears; he was hoping he wouldn't have to think of her.

The man once again gave a shrug, his eyebrows raising in emphasis. "They got in the way, simply."

Shadow roared in anger, trying to get out of the situation. "How dare you. How can you even live with yourself?" He said with a hurt voice.

It was then when the man showed himself from the darkness, circling around from his seat. He leaned against the heavy metal table and continued to watch Shadow with a slight smirk. "In the military, hedgehog, we just cover everything up."

The man was tall, and thin, yet most likely built under his military attire. His clothes were a deep gray, with certain patches and metals here and there. They were a shining reminder that he was high in ranks. The shoes he wore, which were the noise that gave him away, were a shiny and well polished black. His face, tan and aged, looked like it had been through a lot. His hair was a silver white and clean cut for a military style. He continued to watch Shadow from his spot, having a curious look on his face.

"I'm G.U.N.'s leader; you can know me as Commander, and only that."

The black hedgehog stared back at the other in dislike and said nothing, not regarding him. He was far too busy in his mind feeling pure hatred towards him.

The Commander, not really expecting an answer, crossed his arms. "Even before we seized the ARK, we were quite interested in you, hedgehog." He continued, looking at nothing in particular. "We knew of the many abilities you had, your strength, your speed most of all. And the fact you were immortal. These certainly interested us, and they still do."

He continued, slowly looking back to him. "You're one of a kind, Project. You're the Ultimate Life Form. And I brought you from rotting in your cell to here for a deal."

Shadow did not look at him right away, but his ears did perk. Slowly he turned to him with crimson eyes burning in rage, letting him continue.

"If you tell us everything that went on up in the ARK, all your abilities, and you promise to do what we wish with you, you can have a normal life back." He said bluntly, continuing. "You have to promise your loyalty for us, though. And you must become our 'Ultimate Weapon', the job we intended you for. If you promise all these things, you can be out of this place in seconds." He said, watching the streaked hedgehog.

Shadow looked up at the man before him with blank eyes, contemplating. Or, it seemed. The soldiers behind him let go of him for a moment and Shadow stood, still staring him in the eyes. He came closer, which didn't seem to faze the Commander, but he did seem a bit weary. The hedgehog, bruised and battered but no where near where he was in the present, narrowed his eyes.

"I'd rather die than work for you." Was all he said, and to the shock of everyone else in the room, spat in the Commander's face.

The leader of the high military organization only sat in silence, his eyes closed as he swept the moisture from his face. Shadow was automatically grabbed, beaten with fists, and restrained once again as soon as the troops behind him got their hands on him. The hedgehog took the beating with snarling and trashing, screaming at the top of his lungs. "I MEAN EVERY WORD OF IT!" This earned him a hard punch to the jaw.

He was sat back down with hands holding him back, and his neck was once more exposed. The Commander stood, placed his hands behind his back, and shook his head.

"I'm so sorry to hear that, Project Shadow. We have to let you live, for future experimentation. Otherwise, I'd let them kill you here on the spot." He smirked lightly. "But, there are other means to keep you silent."

Shadow growled, pulling away from the chair a bit even if he couldn't get away. "I'll talk as long as I can."

The Commander turned away from him, heading towards the door a bit. He stopped midway, looking back. "That's why you'll never speak again." He looked to the men restraining Shadow. "You know what to do to him; right at the vocal-cords."

Before the hedgehog could react he felt his head pulled back even further than before, and the last thing he remembered feeling was a cold knife slashing into his neck and warm blood splattering everywhere.

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Now, I know I usually don't comment on here, but I need to clear some things up.

First off, yes, that was a flashback. It was the memory of how he pretty much got the chains on him.

Okay, if people are wondering like, 'OMGZ Y DIDN HE DI? HE GOT HIZ THROAT KUT LOLOLO', I did some research- well, I asked a friend who knows a lot about those things. He told me it is possible to just cut the vocal cords, not the throat, if you know what you're doing.

And anyway, it's fictional.

Next; that was the commander that you know from the game, 'Shadow the Hedgehog'. And not to give anything away, his past has been changed a bit, as well.

And...yeah. If you have any other comments or questions, just ask.

REVIEW, PEOPLE!


	9. Walking in on a Surprise

Alright, first off, I KNOW that this chapter is like...painfully short. But there is a reason.

You'll see at the end. x) I decided to post this early because it is so short and I plan on posting the chapter after this early as well.

You could say that this chapter is important, and it's certainly a weird twist. PLEASE DONT' HATE ME FOR IT! -cowers-

Anyway, enjoy.

**Name**: 'Chained By Love'

**Rating**: Teen/PG-13 (might go up)

**Pairings**: SonicxShadow, possible KnuxRouge

**Warning**: Male/Male relationship; don't read if you don't like it

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The house that the three shared was now an adventure land for Shadow.

Everything in the large house had interested Shadow to the point of exploring. By now, the hedgehog who was once reduced to a spaceship had inspected every corner and crack in the place. He'd turn knobs, press buttons and start machines, just to see what would happen. Though he knew what to expect, the thought of him actually seeing it in person thrilled him.

It had been a month since Shadow had first been brought here. He was getting healthier and better each day, stronger in each moment, and much more focused. He was still extremely thin, but his bones were no longer showing. His fur looked much more groomed, and his eyes contained a rebellious glow. He was slowly becoming himself again. The next step he needed was to get back into shape. But for now, he was fine.

He still had his incredible speed, which his blue counterpart certainly noticed. Sonic took very big interest in that, and whenever the black hedgehog was around, would go on about it. He was particularly interested if he could run faster than him and how he got that ability. Shadow would constantly skitter across the house to the point people barely noticed, so used to Shadow doing this. He was everywhere he could.

Shadow would only approach two of the three in the household easily. The one he really didn't step near was Sonic. He would never come near him, unless he really had to. Yes, he did give him food and shelter, but he had his reasons to be resentful.

It wasn't as if Shadow hated the hedgehog, but he did feel he was the reason he was here. If he hadn't disturbed him and his chaos emerald, he'd still have his freedom. That was all that Shadow ever wanted. He'd be more willing to die a free man then be here. It was just a wish he always had. Shadow slightly despised Sonic for that reason; he was still afraid he may never see the light of day again.

But he tolerated everyone, if they did the same. Knuckles and Shadow had respect for one another because they were equal in their own ways. Shadow and Knuckles generally would only pass with a small hello, and then be off. But with Tails, Shadow actually spoke- well, listened to.

Shadow found such an experience listening to the young boy lecture him on science. He was amazed at how intelligent he was. Tails would explain many qualities of everyday life to advanced science, to teach the unknown hedgehog. Shadow always listened excitedly but calmly, regarding how smart he was.

Shadow could only respect the blue hedgehog so much. He matched him in pretty much every skill, but Sonic was so...out there. Something about Sonic was so different from the black hedgehog, that it made him easily annoyed. Let's just say, he could rub on his nerves.

Shadow still remained in the basement, which suited him fine. He did enjoy being alone. He'd simply sit and ponder when he spent his time downstairs and he didn't like to bother. The only excuse to call Shadow was when it was time to eat. Other than that, he had no desire to be disturbed.

That's actually where Shadow was as of now and when he would open his eyes, it'd be his first time waking up here in a whole month and a day.

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Crimson eyes twinkled as they awakened with the sun, slightly narrowing to adjust to the light. The square window had a sliver of sunlight glisten through, highlighting only the eyes on the hedgehog's face. He soon sat up, his shoulders drooping a bit as he tried to become fully conscious. He remembered what day it was and rubbed at his legs, trying to stir himself awake. The hedgehog was still very tired. He looked to the stairs with interest but remained sitting, just wanting to think for a bit. He gazed into the glowing window until the sun was fully up, turning his face away to the darkness. It felt warm; the sun's rays really heated his features.

It took him little time to stand and swiftly make it up the stairs, his chains chiming in movement. When he got there though, the sound of a familiar voice rang in his ears. It was the blue hedgehog, and he seemed to be speaking to someone.

"Can I take him outside for a run?" He asked in a curious voice and Shadow could just picture the smile on his face.

The next voice that came was Knuckles. "Not yet, we can't. It's too soon; we need to get his trust first, Sonic. I promise as soon as he is ready. I can see the look in his face that it's not time just yet." He said in a stern voice, and Shadow could picture his face as well.

He next heard footsteps, which he guessed to be Sonic backing away.

"Whatever, if you say so." He added the last word with emphasis, and then made his way past the red echidna. He then heard the red one sigh as he wondered off in the opposite way.

Shadow's ears perked. '_Let me outside?_' He thought in excitement. But what would he do: run away, or still stay? It was a hard decision and he wasn't sure what to do. But he guessed it didn't matter anyway, since Knuckles gave a no. He shrugged. Maybe he wasn't just ready. Not yet. He soon opened the door the find a clear living-space, which was fine to Shadow. He walked onto the cool tiles and soon onto the soft carpet, taking some relaxation time on the couch.

He curled up in a typical hedgehog ball, and nuzzled his face into the pillows. He sighed softly and rested there for a few moments, happy he wasn't disturbed. He did stir at a noise from the upstairs, which made him raise his eyebrow. He slowly uncurled; what could that be? He raised his head to the source of the noise and came to his feet, making his way up the small stair-way.

As he continued down the hall, he recognized the noise came from the hedgehog's room. He continued slowly and stopped in front of the door, unsure what to do.

It would be his first time in his room and he felt wrong. He bit his lip. He couldn't risk it, it would be too rude. He decided to turn away until he was stopped again; the noise came again. His ears raised and he looked back in suspicion; the same sound rang through the house. He slowly turned back and came closer to the knob. He'd have to do it, he needed to know what that noise was. So, with slow and bare hands, he turned the knob to open it and was surprised at what he saw.

There were Sonic and Amy Rose, linked in a lip lock.

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Rate and Review. x)


	10. Let's Make a Deal

I meant to get this even earlier but eh, this is good. nn;

I wanted to publish it Monday, but I had work that day so I didn't even bother. I got it out today, at least. Happy about that.

Honestly, this chapter is...blah to me. I have no real opinion. I think after this, things in the story get a lot more interesting and better. x) I hope to have the next chapter up by Friday, as usual.

Alright, enjoy.

**Name**: 'Chained By Love'

**Rating**: Teen/PG-13 (might go up)

**Pairings**: SonicxShadow, possible KnuxRouge

**Warning**: Male/Male relationship; don't read if you don't like it

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Shadow had automatically froze, unsure what to do.

Sonic, as if on instinct, flashed his emerald eyes to catch the crimson ones. He automatically separated from the female in his arms, the pink hedgehog giving him a strange look. She then turned her head towards Shadow and gasped. That was the last thing the visiting hedgehog saw before he slammed the door shut.

He backed away from the door with a strange look. Were they...kissing?

Shadow didn't know why he felt weird about it. He narrowed his eyes. It was a rare occurrence for him to witness, even though there were some couples on the ARK. He fought to keep the clenching feeling away as he remembered to stay focused. It was normal for creatures to 'kiss'. It was part of attraction. I guess he never would expect to be shocked like that ever in his life. Or it could have been the thought of the hedgehog kissing...anyone. He scrunched his face in annoyance, though he felt warm; was he...blushing? He didn't have long to think about it and had to quickly flee, since now the door's knob turned.

Both the blue hedgehog and his pink counterpart looked out the room, the male holding up a brow and the female just looking confused. When he saw that no one was there, he expected the black hedgehog. He wasn't stupid, he knew that it was the streaked one. Those red stripes against the black stuck out like a target. He sighed and looked down at Amy, a smirk on his face.

"Someone caught us, eh?" He pulled away from Amy and didn't say more. He sighed as he went to check his features in the mirror, knowing that this was the biggest secret he wanted to keep hidden. He winced as he looked back to the pink girl, who walked up to him.

"Is that the new hedgehog you told me about?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. Sonic could only nod, sighing.

"He can't talk, but with him, I don't know." He frowned and slipped his shoes on. He quickly headed down the stairs without even saying good-bye to Amy.

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Shadow had immediately ran downstairs, closing the door as quietly as he could. At top speed he made it down the steps quickly to his pile of blankets, sitting Indian style. He was trying to look as innocent as possible. When he took his next deep breath, the other hedgehog joined him. The blue one slowly made his way down the creaking wood. '_Play it coo_l...' his mind said.

It was soon that Sonic stood in front of the red streaked hedgehog, a smirk slowly forming on his face. He wasn't sure if it was because he caught him watching them, or the hedgehog caught him kissing Amy. He narrowed his eyes a bit, flashing a toothy grin.

"What were you doing upstairs?" He asked, unable to address a name.

The black hedgehog gave him a look and at first and it was uncertain to the blue one. It took the hero a few moments to realize it was a look of slight mocking. The expression was serious, but a certain cockiness to it. Sonic had to give him credit; he had some blackmail on him.

The blue hedgehog kneeled down and crept closer, bringing his face to the other. He knew to keep his distance, since one run-in was enough to know not to cross the hedgehog.

"Can we make a deal? I'll do whatever you want me to do; not including letting you free." Shadow grimaced at the last part but had given him a studying glare. Shadow looked over the one before him with scrutinizing eyes, both of them knowing his reputation was tarnished forever after this. He snorted and slowly nodded.

Sonic smiled with hop, standing up. "Great! Sounds good." He looked around for a moment. "Now, what to offer you..." He looked down to the black hedgehog and then to the small window, automatically getting an idea. "Alright. I'll make you this deal..." He said, his grin on his face never faltering. "...I very recently discussed with Knuckles if I could take you outside..."

Shadow's ears perked in surprise. That's what he heard early this morning. He blinked once again but then regained his serious composure. Sonic thought it was funny; it was as if he knew when he wanted the other to go on.

"Well, if you promise not to mention mine or Amy's relationship to anyone, I'll take you outside for an hour at few times a week." Shadow's eyes narrowed in anger but was interrupted. "But! The more I begin to trust you, the more time you get outside." Shadow gave him a look, and Sonic could only smirk.

"Deal?"

Shadow nodded his head slightly and watched the blue hedgehog let his hand out, and he eventually took it. They shook and Sonic turned to go upstairs, knowing he had a female to deal with.

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Shadow sat in silence for a few moments before he shifted. Shadow had now came up to another guess on why he was so disgusted by the kiss. He was kissing that 'pink annoyance'.

The 'pink annoyance' idea sprang up in Shadow's mind when he first heard her loud feet step into the house.

Shadow was lucky in the sense that this was the first time she had ever seen him. Amy did not know that Shadow had even ever saw her. That was because whenever he even heard her voice in the doorway, he'd automatically spring to life and hide. Being in the prison had only sharpened Shadow's reactions, so he automatically knew how to hide himself. Whenever she had her back to him he'd dash away before anyone really noticed, and had caught at least a moment glimpse of her each time.

Each time he'd pass her, he never got to get a very detailed description of her but he knew one thing for sure: She was pink. So that was how Shadow got the first part of her nickname.

Now for the latter of the name, he had to do from the basement. But it wasn't hard; her voice filled the whole house. He knew her tone from a miles away. And that was the first thing he came up with. She was loud. VERY loud. She was even louder than the blue one. Not that he was very loud and it bothered Shadow, he just knew his footsteps and voice. But hers could wake up even the dead.

The next was the words she used. Though he could only hear bits and pieces, he made up enough facts to prove what she was just...annoying. That annoying bitchy girl. So, he came up with the, 'pink annoyance'.

This was the first time Shadow ever got to see Amy up-close. He had to say, she wasn't terrible looking, though he didn't find himself attracted to her. But all her personal traits were such a turn-off. Shadow was amazed the other hedgehog could put up with her.

He was even more surprised today seeing them kiss. He didn't know why, but it felt...weird. In a bad way. As if it wasn't right. And he never liked to stare at such things; he felt it made everyone feel awkward. But there he stood, staring directly at them until he slammed the door. And anyway, Shadow never had the chance to try such an act on someone else. Did he even really have the time and settings? Both in the Ark and G.U.N. So, of course, those things were strange to the secluded hedgehog.

He didn't really get why he blushed, though. He didn't think he wanted to know.

Perhaps he was embarrassed for Sonic at his poor woman selections. He scoffed at such a thought, and laid on his elbow.

That's what Shadow planned to keep telling himself.

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Rate and Review, as usual!


	11. Shadow's Hurt Pride

This might be your last chapter for a bit. / I'm going for Florida for a bit in a few days. I'm slightly excited. I'll be staying at Disney with two friends. I will miss my boyfriend and some friends, though. I'll also miss some awesome fanfictions being updated.

I won't be gone forever, though. I'll be back to update as soon as I can! I can't wait to get more into it, I have some great things planned.

Alright, make sure you Rate and Review! I enjoy them, and I hope you like this chapter.

**Name**: 'Chained By Love'

**Rating**: Teen/PG-13 (might go up)

**Pairings**: SonicxShadow, possible KnuxRouge

**Warning**: Male/Male relationship; don't read if you don't like it

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Shadow was getting impatient waiting for the blue hedgehog to take him outside.

A week had passed and Sonic still wasn't holding onto his end of the deal. He was too busy with _her_. Shadow shuddered at the thought of the pink hedgehog, shifting uncomfortably on the couch. The worst part was as he sat there and thought this, the blue hedgehog and his lover were kissing only a few feet away.

Now that she had finally seen and met the black hedgehog, she was constantly around him. It was to the point that everything about her annoyed the chained one. He'd just be minding his own business as he usually did and then her loud voice would burst through the room. He couldn't say anything much but had always secretly wanted to snap her neck. It was funny; whenever he saw them together and they weren't slobbering, Shadow could detect a sense of annoyance in his eyes as well.

'_What an idiot. Why be with her if you can't stand her?_'

She'd constantly try to touch and hug Shadow. Randomly, she'd scream in a high-pitch voice and attempt to throw her arms around him. Shadow would only grumble and bite his lip, his hands clenching into fists of rage. If he didn't have some sense of moral decency, he'd probably kill her. He couldn't though, not for that. And anyway, he didn't want to deal with the clean-up or the guilt after would.

But there was more to it; Shadow could of sworn he witnessed her winking at him once. It disturbed the streaked one even more, who wanted nothing to do with her.

Currently, the black hedgehog was at the end of the couch with his elbow placed on the sofa's arm. His chin was lazily plopped on his open palm and his face displayed a disgusted look. As stated before, the pink and blue hedgehogs were in a game of making out. Shadow, who was the only one in the house besides them, felt highly uncomfortable by this. The only reason he didn't leave was because they said they needed him for 'look-out'. He was going to protest with a silent scoff, but the hero brought up the deal.

'_Damn him_...' thought the black hedgehog, shifting his crimson eyes to the two. He quickly looked away when they separated, the female hedgehog standing before the two.

"I have to go, boys." She said in her usual chipper voice. Making her way to Sonic she gave him a kiss on the cheek and a smirk to Shadow, her eyes glinting as she rested on him. "Bye, the both of you!" She walked towards the door and closed it behind her, leaving the two male's alone.

Sonic stretched in his spot and yawned, having a lazy expression. "Hm." Was all he said after a few moments of silence.

Shadow rolled his eyes and gave him a dirty look, standing. He was happy that was over. He began to walk towards the basement until the other's voice stopped him.

"Wait!" Cried Sonic, raising an eyebrow. "You do want to go outside, right?"

That certainly stopped the black hedgehog in his tracks, looking upon Sonic with a ridiculous look. It was as if the blue hedgehog knew what he was thinking: '_You're finally going to hold your end of the bargain_?' Sonic did feel bad for making him go through watching them and he knew his offer was a week late; he decided to do it now.

"C'mon, bud. I'll take you outside." He said, nudging him. "It's the least I owe you."

Shadow thought that was an under-statement.

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He was trying to hide it, but he knew he couldn't. The black one was so excited he was finally outside. He didn't pay any attention to the blue one as he wondered off into the trees, leaving the other hedgehog in his own thoughts.

Sonic was watching him with interest. What a strange one, or was he really? He got giddy with things that Sonic took for granted.

Take electronics, for example. Sonic was there when Tails was showing him all the kitchen devices. He explained to him the stove (he made sure to tell how to safely use it), how the fridge worked, the microwave (Shadow enjoyed pushing the buttons), and the one that Sonic found the most hilarious: the blender. When the small fox showed him how it worked and it's shrill noise rang through the house, the red streaked hedgehog panicked. When he realized it was the small machine, he gave it a mix look of surprise and irritation. The hero guessed Shadow would make sure to keep away from it.

Now the mystery hedgehog was roaming around like a child in a candy store. When Sonic went on his daily run, he didn't even care about his surroundings. To him it was just an everyday thing. For the other, this must be really special. He couldn't put his finger on what it was but how was he to know? He never talked.

That really made him wonder. Why didn't the hedgehog talk? Never had Sonic gotten any real information from him. He didn't know his name, what language he spoke, where he was from, or any other details for that matter. He guessed they spoke the same dialect, since he could understand them perfectly. But it really almost peeved Sonic not knowing anything about him. It made him feel strangely curious.

As he watched the other hedgehog in curiosity, he caught him staring right back at him. They had a brief stare down until Shadow raised his brow and looked away defiantly. Sonic could tell one thing: he was almost as cocky as he was. He watched him with a combination of amusement and mockery as Shadow quickly ran. Damn was he fast, but Sonic was confident. He bet he could beat him any day.

And he intended to do that right now.

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Shadow closed his eyes as the sun rays warmed his coat, enjoying at the same time the breeze brushing against his face. He pushed against the wind as if it was a flimsy barrier, his lids opening to examine the environment rushing past him. His feet, though bare, were swiftly moving in precise motion. He leaned forward to be as aerodynamic as possible but suddenly was thrown off. Something had rushed past him, something very fast.

And not to his or anyone's shock, it was a blue blur.

He knew right away it was Sonic, the other hedgehog. Shadow easily caught his footing as he slowed down, but quickly sped up again. When the black hedgehog squinted, he could make out his rival's face. Was he...smirking? Shadow could only narrow his brows in a competitive stance, knowing the other one was taunting him. This certainly pissed Shadow off and he was determined to redeem himself. The red streaked creature pumped his legs until he was neck and neck with Sonic, giving him a run for his money.

The hero was now changing his expression; he had gone from a smirk to a raised eyebrow. Sonic could tell this guy was the real deal and that he wanted to win. But he was the 'fastest thing alive'. He wouldn't let himself be outrun by someone else.

They continued on their way, feet hitting the ground below them only a few feet apart. They stared forward, never looking to the other directly as they were side by side. Only occasionally would they look to the other from the corner of their eyes. When they did, it was usually Sonic with his cocky smile and Shadow with his deadly glare. At one point they switched positions, Sonic going from the left to the right, and Shadow vice versa.

They were reaching such great speeds and it was at this point Shadow was unsure if he could keep up.

Though yes, he was gaining his normal weight back, he still did not have his normal muscle. Due to being confined in a cell for so long, Shadow had no room to work out. It had been a long while since Shadow was really fit. Not to mention unlike the hedgehog next to him, he had very heavy metal weighing him down. As he continued to run he was beginning to break into a sweat and his chest heaved, but he kept going. He was still Shadow; he did not want to lose.

Sonic was noticing the difficulty for the other to keep up and showed him some concern. He then saw the determined expression on Shadow's face and then decided against bringing it up, letting him go. He'd let him keep going until he knew when to stop.

Shadow was getting weaker and weaker by the moment. His eyes strained, his body was failing, and he knew he would lose. It was then when he just tumbled to the ground, his body still rolling with the same speed. Due to the velocity he put into the run he kept rolling until the wind died down, which sent him to his stomach. He flopped down painfully with his face in the dirt, a deep groan vibrating in his decrepit throat. Shadow lifted his gaze only to find shiny red shoe-tips in his face and a smirking hedgehog looking down at him.

Sonic shifted in his spot and began to walk away. With his back to him and that ridiculing smirk on his face, he placed a hand on his hip.

"See you at home." Was all he said, leaving Shadow to pick up the dirt in his palm angrily, squeezing it in rage as the dust began to fall around him.

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Shadow had not seen the other blue hedgehog when he walked in the house, who was nowhere to be seen. He was actually lucky, though; if he was down here, Shadow might of ripped his face off.

The black hedgehog made his way to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water, forcefully turning the cold nozzle of the sink on. He then shut it off, gulped down all the water hastily, and then broke the cup right in his hand. He didn't even notice right away and looked down at the shards of glass. He would have to remember apologizing for that.

He tiredly made his way down the basement stairs after a very quick shower, not wanting for the dirt to pile on him. He had his fill with feeling grimy. He tiredly flapped onto the floor and stretched. That was the toughest run he had in years. And though yes, he lost to his newly found rival, he was happy. At least he went outside and now found a new racing partner. He'd never admit it to the other, though.

Shadow couldn't believe he lost. He felt slightly embarrassed and guilty, but he knew one day he could fix his image. Shadow would always see himself as the Ultimate Life Form.

His crimson eyes glared into nothing until he heard a door close, looking towards the edge of the stairs. In a flash, there was the blue hedgehog, not seeming tired at all. Shadow looked at him jealousy and spite, then gave him a cold shoulder. As he turned his back to him, you could hear his chains shuffle. Sonic could only laugh kindly at this reaction, coming closer. It was then that Shadow noticed that Sonic's hands were behind his back.

He was automatically nervous; at his prison, hands behind someone's back was never a good sign. But he reminded himself that he wasn't there. Shadow knew that if he was going to have a good stay here, he'd have to trust them and make the best of it. He was also more interested than weary. He kind of guessed that the blue one wouldn't hurt him.

Sonic had kneeled in front of him with a half-smile, a sparkle in his eyes.

"I got you a gift, bud. Let's say, a welcome present."

He shockingly pulled out the nicest sneakers that Shadow had ever seen.

They were mostly white around the foot but at the heal, they had a patch of black. It started large but faded to a small edge that disappeared under the shoes. The soles were a matching red to the hedgehog's streaks and eyes. Though they seemed large and clunky, they were for a reason; they had small, circular jets underneath them. Wrapped around the part of the shoe you stuck your foot in there were rings of gold. Shadow thought they looked vaguely familiar in his past but was too mesmerized by the shoes themselves.

Shadow was taken over by utter shock. He looked up at the blue hedgehog who sensed it with a smile, giving a shrug.

"Should fit you if you have the same size foot as me. Which looks like you do, so don't worry. Try them on." He said eagerly, which Shadow did. He stood and easily slipped the shoes on, getting the feel of them. They did feel a bit heavy but nothing at all Shadow couldn't handle. He continued looking down at them in a blank shock, Sonic giving a content nod.

"You look a lot better than I did in them. Tails made them for me, but I wasn't feeling them; they're not my style. The jets are cool, though. They're powered by the rings and they make you appear to be gliding. They're very useful, actually." He looked at the black hedgehog for a moment in an glad emotion. "You'll use them a lot better than me. I'm more into the classics." He stated, turning away.

Shadow didn't say anything, knowing he couldn't. But he knew he'd be thanking the hedgehog. Sonic saw it in his eyes and he grinned once more, going up the stairs.

"You owe me, hedgehog!" He yelled down them, closing the door behind him.

Shadow looked at where the other just was and then slowly removed the shoes. After he did, he lifted them by the heel. He knew he found his new pair of shoes. Never had he seen such a nice article of clothing. He then placed them down and rested his head on the pillow.

Was Shadow starting to actually...?

NO! He didn't like that blue hedgehog. He was annoying, number one. And he was cocky, stupid, and he probably cheated on that race! Shadow sat up in defiance and looked at the door menacingly. That was it; he was still the best.

As he settled down again he sighed. He knew a little part of him knew the truth: he was jealous and he was actually letting the other grow on him. He 'hmphed' a bit and tried to perish the thought. Shadow would never let anyone else in his life anymore. Not after what happened...

Really, how could he trust anyone anymore? He had his best friend murdered and then was treated with cruelty. He felt he had a right to hate everyone. But then again, these people were different. They didn't try to hurt him, they fed him, and they offered him information and kindness. Like the other two who lived in this house, Sonic was doing the same.

He sat up and stretched again, trying to get his mind off such thoughts. His goal was to get better and earn his freedom.

But each day he spent with the three, which was a lot, it was getting harder and harder. There was only one person he could really live without. That certain someone was very irritating and very pink. But he wouldn't get into her.

Shadow sighed. Not only did the blue one beat him, now he owed him for the shoes and saving him.

It really wasn't Shadow's day.

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I hope to have a lot of reviews to respond to.

See you till next time!


	12. How Sonic Really Feels

Hey everyone. This feels weird; I haven't posted in so long! That's because of vacation and life. -sighs- You have no idea how badly stress has been eating my life away. I have no more life because of work. It's affecting my relationships as well.

And now school is starting! -keels over-

I'm trying my best to keep up with the story and writing, but it has been hard. I'll try to be as regular as I can with the updates. But I have some good news; I have another story coming out! Yes, another Sonadow. And this is more or less a short and comical one. A lot more...upfront than my usual ones. Also with a new twist. I might be publishing it any day, if I can write a new chapter for it soon. I'm still contemplating a name; it has to be just right.

I might make it an exclusive for I'm not sure. But if I do, you BETTER get your butts over there and comment on it! Don't be scared, they don't bite there. I'm still deciding on it, though. I have to make up my mind.

Anyway, on with the story. My comments are being long today for a reason.

One of the first thing my editor said to me when he read this chapter tonight was...

"Wow; Sonic is a dick."

And I very much notice this. I won't go into it too much now, but he certainly is in this chapter. If you look at certain general descriptions of Sonic, it usually states he is, 'self-absorbed' in most of them. I like to play into that a lot in my stories. Damn it...it's to the point he made me feel bad for Amy...

But don't worry, in the future, you'll have a great reason to hate her. -smiles evilly-

**Name**: 'Chained By Love'

**Rating**: Teen/PG-13 (might go up)

**Pairings**: SonicxShadow, possible KnuxRouge

**Warning**: Male/Male relationship; don't read if you don't like it

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Shadow stepped out of the small shower stall and shook his sleek coat, sending water droplets everywhere. He then grabbed the closest towel and brushed them through his wet quills. He sighed contently, enjoying the feeling of cleanliness. He then wrapped it around his waist, standing in front of the mirror.

Right away the hedgehog was happy with what he saw. He remembered that not too long ago and only a few months before, he looked amazingly thin and fragile. Now his body looked much more different from then. Both the black and red of his coat was sleek and glossy, the touch not rough as it had been. His ribs had not shown at all through his coat and he was happy to see some muscle. He was never built like a body-builder, but he certainly had always been fit. He was very much like his old self, apart for some exceptions.

When Shadow looked into his ruby eyes, which were always glowing with a serious spark, seemed to be much more...well, hurt. He knew why. So many things had happened in his lifetime for them to ever be the same. And there was of course, the chains, which still remained rusted and clamped around his neck and wrists. Except for those two things, he was pretty much the same.

The black hedgehog even believed he might be gaining his regular speed back as well. He guessed it was from both regular eating, exercise, and now his sneakers, which he thanked the blue hero for. They were extremely useful and he had really clicked to them, loving their abilities.

Shadow had to adjust to the use of the hover skates. When he first tried them out, they pretty much activated on their own. He started running at a high speed, it almost resulting in harsh crash and a laughing blue hedgehog. But after a bit of time using them and trying them out, Shadow got the hang of it. It really helped him with his speed by letting him skate across the ground and even letting him hover a bit. They'd glow gold whenever they went into use. Shadow was very thankful for having them.

He had a lot of time for trying them out since he went out many of the days in a week. This also contributed to Shadow becoming stronger, since had much more room to run and train. Sonic had taken him out in secret from Knuckles, who would be very angry if he found out he was doing this. Whenever the echidna would wonder to his Master Emerald, Sonic would sneak the black one out to let him roam the surrounding area. Once in a while, Sonic would race him; and when saying 'once in a while', it was at least once a week.

Whenever they would engage in a run, it was always a heated battle. After the few first times, excluding the first time where Shadow lost, it was barely a tie. Sonic would always race up and appear to be in the lead but Shadow would always pull into the equal place in the end. He was determined to never lose to him a second time, not wanting to feel the humiliation. Even if it was never brought up, both knew very well that the other remembered.

Then, as Shadow was getting fitter and fitter, it started to become an equal tie. Both would struggle to the max to pull in front but they'd both fail, always finishing at the same time. The blue hedgehog even acknowledged this, a smirk always on his face.

"You're certainly catching up, bud." he'd always say, still not knowing his name.

Shadow, though content, wasn't completely satisfied with this.

He wanted to be the winner, no questions asked.

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It didn't take long for Shadow to step out of the bathroom, stretching as he made his way into the hallway. His shoes, cleaned and ready to be put on, were placed next to the door. He slipped them on easily and walked down the stairs, not expecting the blue hedgehog to be waiting for him. When he came into the living room he was standing there with an unusual face for him. It was one that Shadow had never seen on him.

Currently the hero had a mix between a worry and an annoyed expression. His jade eyes slowly focused on him and he smiled weakly; the black hedgehog could only guess he was forcing it.

"Ready to go outside?" was all he said, his voice tired and a bit sad.

Shadow wouldn't lie; he was concerned. He only nodded though, his shoulders also shrugging. The blue hedgehog walked past him without another look; this also surprised the streaked one. Sonic was usually very open and talkative but now, it was as if he wanted nothing to do with him. He slowly followed him out the door and closed it, looking into their surroundings. It was a vast forest and jungle that Shadow never got sick of, his feet ready to be running. When he looked to his side though, there sat Sonic at the stoop with his head lowered in thought.

The blue one was acting very strange. First off, he took Shadow out earlier than usual. It was now about noon; usually Shadow didn't go out until three in the afternoon. Actually, Sonic was usually never here at this time. Mostly he left early to some unknown location that Shadow never bothered to question. There was also the fact he was quiet and distant, not being his usual friendly and happy self. Shadow didn't bother to do anything about it and just ran off into the distance, using his time wisely.

Shadow raced through the trees at top speed, his shoes making it very easy for him to run. When he didn't have them it was much harder for the fact of stepping on objects and now he didn't have that problem. He'd jump and leap from trees to rocks, spinning into a ball like the hedgehog he was. He'd roll across the ground and then spring up when he finished. It was the same routine everyday when the blue hedgehog wasn't racing him. The black one always made sure to work out things he once took for granted before he was locked up. Surprisingly, the chains didn't restrict him too much since the links were long.

He'd usually go until he broke into a sweat, making sure his body was tired by the end of the outing. But now, something in particular was bothering him: why was Sonic so upset? He mentally kicked himself for wondering why and it was easy to tell. But Shadow didn't get why he was even slightly concerned. How was he to concentrate with the depressed hedgehog behind him? His shoulders drooped as he sighed. He knew he had to run back their and see what was going on.

It didn't take long for Shadow to make his way towards the sad hero, his shoes gliding across the ground. His feet which glowed with golden tones had skid to a stop, picking up a good amount of dirt with him. Sonic slowly looked up to the brown fog and blinked, seeing Shadow's form appear shortly ofter. His shoulders drooped and he didn't feel the right to look at him, certainly not in the mood.

Shadow had made his way over to him, much to Sonic's surprise. He sat next to him and gave him a curious yet kind expression, his head turned to his side. Sonic gave a guess to the hedgehog's feelings: he knew he was upset. He frowned and looked at him with depressed and jade eyes.

"Though you may not talk, you certainly know a lot."

The silent hedgehog had only shrugged, his eyebrow raising to push the hedgehog further. Sonic's chest rose as his back gently hit the steps of the deck, placing his gloved hands over his eyes. "I have so much going in my life. You have no clue what it is to be me, hedgehog." Was all Sonic said, which got a look from Shadow. The black hedgehog gave him a questioning expression which eventually the blue one saw, who in response crossed his arms.

"You've never heard of me...?" was all he said, in a mix of surprise and interest. Shadow gave a mild shrug and Sonic grabbed his arm despite his shock, dragging him into the house.

"Time to give you a history lesson, bud." Sonic had dragged Shadow to a door he never opened before. It was pushed into a corner of the house that no one ever visited or ever introduced to Shadow. The black hedgehog eyed the other and their surroundings in interest as Sonic stuck a key into the door. He turned the knob and had let him in, into a room that rarely anyone visited.

As Shadow gazed around he blinked, surprised by what he say. Against the wall upon nails and shelves were an array of medals and statues, all which were inscribed with the words, 'SONIC THE HEDGEHOG'. Most of them also brought up 'hero', 'excellence', and 'speed', but it varied with each trophy. He couldn't believe the large amount gold glimmering in the room but slowly looked the other hedgehog, who was leaning against the doorway.

His expression seemed fond and calmed, but at the same time upset and troubled. He too was looking at every piece in the room with happiness and respect. Everyday Sonic was thankful for every honorable mention he received, but there were other days such as today. He sighed and rubbed his temples, eventually breaking the silence in the tiny room.

"This is my trophy room. I get honors from fans, the government, the police; you name it, I've probably got it."

He went up to a random medallion hanging on fine strung-together cloth, holding it in his hand. He polished it quietly with the fur of his elbow and then let it be, giving a modest shrug. "I've gotten quite a few over the years. They never change in value to me. Each has an equal amount of respect and sometimes, I can't help to not look away."

The feelings on his face quickly changed from happiness to sadness, the blue one biting his lip. He then turned to the black hedgehog and hung his head. "But there are many of people who strongly dislike me." he said, his head hanging in shame. Shadow could right away tell it was a touchy subject. He continued to just observe the gold-plated awards in the room, in no way disturbing the other hedgehog.

"I battle almost everyday to save everyone lives. You have no idea how hard I fight, hedgehog. I train my body, my muscles, and my mind every moment I can to prepare for what is to come. I won't lie; sometimes, I don't think I'm ready. But every time danger shows its ugly face, I take the challenge!" he said with pride, his chest heaving out as he stood in the middle of the room.

"Now, Eggman is nothing but, there are some other things harder I still have to deal with!"

With the mention of the crazy doctor's name, Shadow's ears perked. Though it had been a bit of time, the hedgehog still remembered their encounter. He swallowed quietly and looked away from the blue hero, not wanting to bring that subject up. He didn't even consider the possibility of him finding out he was being held here. He bit his lip but ignored it as the other hedgehog continued, not wanting to think about it.

"I save so many civilians lives and honestly, each one is important to me." he said slowly, as if he was calculating his words. "But sometimes...I never make it in time to save everyone..." he said sadly, rubbing at his arm. Shadow's ears instantly perked at that phrase, listening to the hedgehog's word with much more deeper interest.

Sonic continued sadly, once in a while shifting in his spot. "Believe me, I try to help everyone. I try with all the speed and might I have to make sure everyone makes it out safely alive...but sometimes, trying just doesn't work." said Sonic, his voice having some frustration. "And the people who did die today, I'll never forgive myself for not saving. Yet the fact that people continue to blame me hurts me more than anyone can know..." he voiced softly, Sonic physically feeling his heart hurt. The memory of the ordeal was very painful, and it didn't happen too long ago.

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The well known hero had raced through the busy and continuous town, his feet never missing a beat. As he rushed through the car-filled streets he looked to each side, taking in the large buildings next to him. They were large, metal, and over powering to the sight. Some even appeared to go into the skies for miles. Sonic, who was far used to the monstrosities known as architecture, rushed by them without another glance. He was far too preoccupied with other matters.

At first, Sonic was afraid he wasn't going to make it to the area in time. As he continued on the sidewalk barely anyone moved out of the way, letting the hedgehog nearly crash into many things and hazardously make his way around. It wasn't too hard for him but there were times he almost had a nasty collision. He narrowed his eyes as he ran with all his might, keeping the power and grace he usually did.

It didn't take long for Sonic to start seeing wreckage as he kept running down the path. More and more buildings were looking wrecked and destroyed with each minute passed. It didn't take long before the hedgehog actually saw the cause of all of the destruction; it was none other than Eggman and he had a new machine.

The contraption was as big as they usually are, the size of some of buildings surrounding him. Its main body, which seemed to be a pod where Robotnik sat in, had arms on a spinning axis. There had to be at least eight of them spinning around and slicing everything apart. Though they were long they were made of a strong metal and at the end of each coil was a sharp looking dagger. They seemed thin as air but they could rip through anything.

Sonic didn't act fazed as he saw this, knowing that he could beat the crazy scientist. He didn't pause anymore as he rushed towards the robot, Sonic automatically preparing himself. He ran as fast as he could in that moment and then curled into a ball, giving the robot a direct hit. Although it weakened it and had gotten the Doctor quite angry, it had not damaged it. Sonic came flying back and skidded across the ground, smirking with bravery. He was confident he could conquer him.

Eggman had brought the many arms to a stop and they all seemed to be concentrating on Sonic. He certainly noticed that they were spinning towards him and it would be hard to escape all of their grasps. He was reminded just how many there where when a sudden car had just missed colliding with him, the blue hedgehog having to jump very high to dodge it. He looked back at the roaring metal as it skidded across the ground with a worried look, but was caught off guard. A single arm looped around and had nearly slashed his side, Sonic being very lucky he wasn't sliced in half. He took a deep sigh of relief; Sonic didn't bother worrying about it, since it just skimmed him. He really had to worry about everyone else.

Sonic knew he'd need a lot more hits until he could completely bring down the robot, once again racing towards it. He rolled into a ball and had hit it once or twice, enough to knock some more blows into it. This is when a few arms had come off due to the crash. Eggman, sitting within the pod in the middle, had to think fast. He quickly grabbed any objects large enough to toss at the single hedgehog, the many metal appendages left working as fast as they could. The hero dodged everything thrown at him, his body running and jumping the opposite ways the thrown items went. Just when he was doing good and never got tagged, he was caught off guard by a scream.

He turned his head to see the further destruction happening because of him avoiding the objects, seeing a large amount of buildings and people hurt. He gasped but not only by the sight he saw, but what came colliding into him. One of the large metal tentacles hit him square in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He went flying right into a building, which nearly collapsed from the impact. He slowly sat up in his spot and rubbed his head, the hedgehog in a huge amount of pain.

The dazed hero didn't have long to sit there, one of the many arms wrapping around him. He cursed under his breath and came face to face with the cockpit of the machine, it opening down the middle to reveal the cause of the mess. Dr. Eggman laughed right at the blue hedgehog in his clutches, an eyebrow raising at him.

"Well, well, well. The day I finally catch you, I have no desire to keep you." he said, a bored look playing in his face. Sonic growled at him and fought against the restraints around him, a snarl sounding from his throat.

"Is that so?" he asked, his own brow mimicking the others. "And what exactly is so much better than me?" Sonic smirked a bit but it faded with Robotnik's laugh, who sat back in his seat.

"That doesn't concern you, hedgehog. I was on a search before you rudely interrupted me. Now, I must be going." The arm holding onto the hero raised into the air, Sonic's face going into a slight show of panic. "I'll be seeing you around!" Eggman used a lever to pull the arm all the way back and then pushed a red button directly next to it. Before Sonic could even draw in a breath he felt himself go flying into the air.

He frantically waved his arms as he was getting closer and closer to plummeting to the ground. Thinking quickly, he rolled into a ball and landed safely with a whirl. Sonic jumped out of it and onto his feet, turning to the doctor. He knew he needed to destroy it or he'd tear his way through anything to find whatever he was searching for. Whatever that was made Sonic curious but he had to stop him first.

Once again the hedgehog rolled into a ball and accelerated as much as could. He was getting ready for one of his oldest and most famous moves, his spin-dash. He powered up and then released when he could take it no more, going off the ledge of the cracked street. He flew into the machine and collided right into the cockpit and cracked the glass, shattering bits and pieces everywhere. He tightly closed his eyes not to get any into them and at the last moment grabbed onto the closest of its broken arms. He held on tightly even as Eggman attempted to throw him off it, which only caused Sonic to fall right into the cockpit. He landed on both feet and one hand, standing in front of his enemy in triumph. He narrowed his eyes and stood powerful, a frown on his lips.

"What exactly are you looking for, Eggman?" cried the blue hedgehog, wanting to know just what was so important.

The doctor only laughed as he sat in his seat, a sudden seatbelt wrapping around his large waste. He looked at him with an evil glint, giving a scoff towards him.

"A creature more powerful than you. And if I get a hold of him, he'll even defeat you!" he said, pointing at him with more laughter. Sonic could have no response because Robotnik shot into the air from the main seat, obviously being an escape. Sonic watched him soar into the sky and growled. Once again, the doctor had managed to get away. He sighed and his shoulders drooped but didn't have long to rest. The machine he was standing in was beginning to fall and when it did, it clashed to the ground with a loud tremor. Dust and pieces of cement went flying, causing a huge cloud of filth. Sonic coughed in his spot and wheezed, looking up at his surroundings.

Around him was total destruction and chaos, to the point of people running in hysteria. Water from a broken hydrant sprayed the streets and at that moment a light post came falling to the ground. The place was filthy with debris and dust, some buildings were even reduced to rubble. Others had broken brick and some had fallen to the ground. Anyone who looked at it knew there was going to be a huge clean-up.

But the buildings were Sonic's last concern. When he looked into more detail of the wreckage he noticed that more than one person was dead from the destruction. His heart had sunk and his anger had rose, taking a deep and sturdy breath. He let it out as he tried to regain control of his feelings. He lowered his head as the sirens of police cars made themselves noticed, knowing they wouldn't be happy about what happened today. He didn't even really care about that. Not only were many people lifeless around him, but he was one of the reasons behind it.

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When Sonic finished his explanation, he looked to the ground. Shadow could only try to keep a blank face as his mind was concerned. He knew he could very well be what he was looking for. He bit his lip when the other hedgehog didn't look up at him. Not only did he feel worried, but his heart sunk. If he was what Eggman was looking for, more people would of died because of him and Sonic felt at fault. He hoped he wasn't the reason and turned his attention back to the saddened hero.

Sonic sighed and slumped against the wall, running his fingers over his crossed arms. He looked highly disturbed and upset as he continued. "Sometimes, I really want to give up. I consider just quitting and stopping, because of the many people who die." he paused. "It doesn't happen very often, but it has. And every time it does, it makes me want to quit more and more." he looked up to Shadow with saddened eyes, as if they were to leak. "The fact they died because I couldn't help them breaks my heart. No one knows how it feels."

Shadow stared at him with slight shock, blinking. He certainly did know what he was going through. He very much could relate to how the other hedgehog felt due to the ARK incident. His heart continued to get lower and lower at the sight of the fallen hero. He was beginning to feel for him more and more. When Sonic had his head lowered, Shadow slowly placed his hand on his shoulder. Sonic looked up in shock at him and the black hedgehog shrugged, not knowing what else to do. The blue one studied the other's eyes eyes and seemed to sense it, seeing a mix of compassion and just plain confusion on how he could make him feel better. He smiled weakly at him, happy he was trying.

"You don't have to worry about it; I'm rambling. But I feel like I can tell you anything. I guess it's the fact you can't tell anyone." the usual glint in Sonic's eyes gleamed in his eyes for a split second and then his chuckle at the look the other hedgehog gave him. His laughter slowly died and the sad look returned, even when Shadow joined his side. "Sometimes, I don't feel like anyone can relate. Tails is too young; I don't want to involve him in my own problems. And I'm unsure if Knuckles would understand, let alone listen. Not that he doesn't care but he has his own problems." he looked at Shadow, jade meeting scarlet. "I don't know anything about you. I hope you've had it better from me, though it honestly doesn't look like you did."

Shadow frowned, giving a mix of a nod and a shrug. He was lucky he wasn't feeling forced into telling his past; not that he could, anyway. Sonic didn't take long to continue, giving a bit of a scoff as he looked before him. "And Amy wouldn't understand...she's so dumb." Shadow was surprised by this and in silence cracked up. Even if he was quiet the blue hedgehog felt his shaking shoulders, looking over to him. He guessed he was laughing and smiled a bit himself. "I'm not fibbing, she's actually very stupid. I'd be surprised if she knew her left from her right." he sighed, giving a deep frown. "I honestly can't stand her sometimes. As a girlfriend...she's not my type." He looked at Shadow with a blank look, his eyes a bit wide yet calm. "She's not even that, you know."

The black hedgehog looked at him in surprise. Why was he kissing her if they weren't 'together'? Wasn't that only something you held with someone you loved? As if Sonic read his mind, he continued to talk with little thought. "I met her one day because she said she was my, 'biggest fan'. I only saw her as some crazed, obsessed girl at first but as I got to know her, I saw her as one thing: easy target." he smirked slightly, shrugging. "So, I befriended her. I introduced her to both Knuckles and Tails and they shared similar feelings. Knuckles pretty much can't stand her and he thinks she is annoying. Tails is quiet about it, but I know he dislikes yet tolerates her. No one honestly likes her, which is why our...relationship has to be kept a secret. You have no idea what I'd go through if they found out."

The black, unknown hedgehog stared back at the other in a mix of shock and disgust. He pretty much...used her? Sonic sensed what he was thinking and looked down. In a sudden shyness he shrugged, not liking the look he was receiving. It certainly reminded him what he was doing was wrong. "I know, I know...it's not right..." he sighed. "Don't get me wrong, I like her but as a friend. I don't know; I can't help it." he smiled weakly. "Like many typical guys, I give in to a girl who literally throws herself at me. I've only kissed her anyway, I'm not that cruel..." the hedgehog claimed, trying to defend himself.

Shadow only shook his head, trying to convey his silent point: it just wasn't right. Sonic once again felt this, sighing. "I don't plan on staying with her for long. I'm already starting to feel guilty...and you're not helping." he said, rubbing at the back of his neck. Shadow gave a grunt and crossed his arms, giving him a cold shoulder. Sonic sighed, not wanting to Shadow to dislike him. He was just starting to build a friendship with him. He nudged him a bit, his brows lowering. "I'm sorry, okay? And why should you be so upset? From what I've noticed, you don't like her that much yourself." Shadow opened his eyes and nodded. Sonic returned a look, his ears drooping. "I guess that doesn't make it any better, though." The cobalt one looked frustrated yet concentrating. "I think the feelings are mutual, actually. I don't think she really loves me like she says. She actually constantly brings up going public with the relationship; I think she wants to be famous." Shadow felt less and less sorry for her after hearing that. Him feeling bad for her quickly passed and he resumed with disliking her.

Sonic sighed and looked to the ceiling, then back to the hedgehog next to him. He smiled a bit, not able to hold back. The hero was starting to feel better and better. "I have to thank you for listening. Hopefully, if you ever do talk, I can return the favor." he said, a glad glint in his eyes. Shadow looked back to him with a serious yet content expression, nodding. They locked eyes for a good set of minutes, both finding it very hard to pull away. But before either of the two could do or say anything, they had jumped in a combination of surprise and fear.

Someone was banging roughly at the door, and they did not sound happy. Their gaze was broken as they looked to the door in confusion, Sonic raising an eyebrow. "Who could be knocking so loudly...?" he thought aloud, it not taking long for him to find his answer.

Once again there was a strong knock and then a voice, one very gruff and unwary. "Sonic the Hedgehog, this is the Guardian Unit of Nations and we need to speak to you on the regards of Shadow the Hedgehog."

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Ooh, cliff hanger! I do have a love for them.

Wonder what will happen next? Comment and Review, please.


	13. The 'Unknown' Hedgehog Snaps

I finally got off my ass and updated.

Well, I haven't been having too good of times recently. Had my heart broken, been suffering from stress and school, and I just have pretty much been bitter towards a lot of things; including my writing. I hope you enjoy the chapter, because I don't know if I did. It's not one of my best, you could say. I have been trying to muster up my desire to write, and hopefully I'll get a sense of inspiration soon. Maybe it will help me feel better, too...

Alright, enjoy.

**Name**: 'Chained By Love'

**Rating**: Teen/PG-13 (might go up)

**Pairings**: SonicxShadow, possible KnuxRouge

**Warning**: Male/Male relationship; don't read if you don't like it

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Sonic looked in the direction of the door, confused. "Shadow the hedgehog...?" he said out loud, not sure why they were here.

Never before had he ever met someone named Shadow...unless. Everything finally clicked. He looked behind himself at the black hedgehog, the other's face answering his question. Shadow had a look of pure fear and he began backing up, his eyes never leaving the owner of the house. Not only was he breaking into a sweat, but his heart was pounding quickly. He wasn't as prepared as he thought he was. Not only did they find him backed into a corner, but now the hero would know of just what he was. Shadow looked slowly at Sonic with pleading and frightened eyes, the emerald orbs catching his. The sight of Shadow's current expression made not only Sonic feel bad, but surprised. Never had he seen such a look in the stubborn and brave hedgehog. He looked to the door as he heard a much more urgent knock.

"Don't make us use force the door down, Mr. Hedgehog." said the same voice, sounding much more irritated this time. Sonic had thought quickly and turned back to Shadow, putting his hands in front of him to show he meant no harm.

"Don't worry, just calm down. I'll help you out." he said, hoping the other would believe him. He walked back to the door and called to them, thinking of a fast excuse. "I'll be there in a minute! I'm...just in the bathroom!" cried the hedgehog, looking back to Shadow. When he did so, he was almost got knocked to the floor, because the black hedgehog took this as a sign to lunge at the doorknob.

Sonic luckily caught his waist and held him away from it, trying to be as quiet as possible. "Shadow, calm down!" he said, using the black one's name for the first time. Shadow only continued to struggle, pushed too far by fear to stop. Sonic continued to try to calm him and he came up with the quickest way to do so. "If you stop, I promise I'll hide you. I'll try to help you with this." he attempted to coax him, hoping it would work. It was no lie that Shadow couldn't make it out without the hero. Shadow had slowly calmed down, knowing it was his best bet. Sonic released him and slowly opened the door, taking his arm in his hand. He brought him to the basement and placed him at the top step, the black one standing there as he was still nervous and awaiting for directions. Sonic began to close it but stopped it short, sticking his head out from the crack of the opening.

"Just go down there, hide and find a way out if you hear anything." he said, closing the door behind him. When he turned to the front door, he was almost too late; Knuckles was just about to open it. The red echidna must have made his way home while they were in Sonic's special room and had heard the knocking himself. Sonic had jumped to the door and his hand stopped the others, taking a sharp breath. "_NO_!" he whispered but with emphasis, Knuckles giving him a confused look. "Shadow is the hedgehog we rescued. They're looking for him."

Knuckles raised an eyebrow, whispering a response. "Do you know why?" he asked, curious and suspicious. Sonic responded first with a shrug, looking at Knuckles with a pleading expression. "No, but I intend to find out. Let me do the talking." came his response, turning back to the knob. He slowly opened it to find an array of angry and serious guards gazing down at both the Mobians, a weak smile coming across Sonic's muzzle.

"Why, good afternoon officers. How can I help you?" he asked, trying to sound as polite as he possibly could.

All of them looked at him with a condescending look, not responding at first. Both of the parties knew that they had a strange relationship. They strongly disliked one another but they did use each other for help, only if it was serious or a last resort. GUN hated the fact that Sonic was the 'hero' and usually caused destruction with his fighting, and Sonic and the gang despised them for being what many believed as 'corrupt'. Neither spoke this out loud but it was easily assumed. The leader of the gang glared back at the hedgehog before him but responded as equally polite, one of the back soldiers pulling out a manila folder.

"We have had sources notify us that you have been in relation with an escapee of our prison, Mr. Hedgehog." they said as curtly as they possibly could, handing Sonic the heavy folder. He took it and sunk a bit, being surprised by its weight. Knuckles looked over suspiciously and opened it, looking to GUN as they spoke. "We are unsure if you know due to his inability to speak, but he is a highly dangerous prisoner and a sick outcome of a scientist's dream. He was locked up for a reason and is a danger to society. Shadow the Hedgehog was a creation to be the ultimate weapon; he is not to be trusted." As Sonic listened both him and Knuckles scanned through the large folder, and was shocked at what they saw.

There were multiple pictures of Shadow in the facility that were highly disturbing. Some were of testing they were doing, some of him which showed how he was wilting everyday, even a few of him without the chains around his neck. Sonic's heart had completely melted at the sight of this and he was fighting back rage. He controlled himself to the best of his abilities, swallowing back the words he wanted to scream at them.

"I believe you are mistaken, sirs. We have no such hedgehog in our house." said Knuckles, who obviously caught onto Sonic's idea. They looked at the guardian with little interest, never really having a care about him other than the fact he housed the Master Emerald.

They turned back to Sonic with a suspicious look, obviously not believing him. "Would you mind if we took a look around the house, then?"

This caught Sonic completely off guard and even before he could respond, he was pushed back against the door as they entered his home. Knuckles looked the most outraged, clenching his namesake in disgust. "You have no right to search us, where is your warrant!?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow. Sonic had came to his side with a nod, demanding an explanation as well.

The leader of the soldiers gave a smirk and a shrug. His two different colored eyes looked vaguely familiar."I can have it in your hands in a 5 minutes flat, if you wish." As he said this, bustling behind him were the officers hard at work, searching every corner of the house. Sonic didn't even care of the mess they were leaving; he was just concerned about the hedgehog below. He knew they all were in huge trouble if he was caught. Every floor of the house was searched from top to bottom, except for the basement. The troops looked to it finally and were about to open it, but Sonic leapt in front of the door.

"No! It's too messy down there, I'd really prefer it if you-" Sonic was quickly pushed out of the way, the hedgehog barely catching his footing. The soldiers opened the door with a slam, making their way down the stairs with heavy footsteps. Sonic was after them pleading, knowing Shadow was doomed. But when he got down there, he and the men stopped; there was no one in sight. Sonic was confused by this but said nothing to alert GUN. He turned to them with an annoyed look, trying to hide his confusion.

"Are you happy? Got enough proof?" His voice was highly peeved for he just wanted them gone. Sonic had seen enough since the day he found Shadow to see what they had done. Knuckles too, was confused but just looked down, knowing his expression might give away how he was feeling. They slowly turned to Sonic with little care, the main man of the group turning to the blue hedgehog.

"We're sorry for bothering you, Mr. Hedgehog but for the safety of the public, this must be done. We will be checking everywhere on Mystery Island. If the hedgehog is here, we will find him." he said and then turned to follow his men out of the house. That was the last thing he said before the door slammed shut behind them, leaving the two in the home to stand quietly. Knuckles slowly looked up at Sonic, who at the time was trying to process everything.

"Did you know about this?" he asked, raising an accusing eyebrow. Sonic slowly turned to him and shook his head, looking to the echidna slowly.

"Not at all. How could I? He never spoke. But I'm guessing this is why we found him like this." said Sonic, still trying to figure out how Shadow escaped so easily. He continued to think until an idea sprang into his head, causing him to zip away from the basement. With his fast speed he made it to his room in seconds flat, coming to his dresser. He opened the top left drawer and moved the articles within it, revealing an empty spot. Sonic smirked when he figured out just how Shadow got away.

It didn't take long for Knuckles to join the room, shifting his head to the side. "What should we do now? What can we do to help him?"

Sonic slowly closed the drawer and walked out of the room, knowing what he had to do. "First things first: let's find Tails and find more about this hedgehog. I know he'll be okay until then."

Both Knuckles and Sonic nodded in agreement, but one could easily sense the worry and the tension fluttering about.

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Shadow had zapped himself as far as he possibly could from the home, while staying on the same island. The chaos emerald, which was originally his taken by Sonic, was placed neatly behind his head quills. He didn't stop for long since he knew he was being chased. The 'prisoner' scurried off into the distance knowing he needed to find a quick worthy place and fast. GUN, being as high tech and ruthless as they are, could easily catch him. He thanked Sonic for distracting the soldiers long enough for him to not only grab the emerald but to plan his escape, knowing he would of been caught if they didn't amuse them as long as they could.

He took off into nowhere in particular, looking for any sign of a hiding space. At the rate they were looking for him, it was obvious that every space he found would be checked. Shadow was beginning to think he had no hope of finding anything until the next sight he saw. There was a lone GUN automobile standing in the middle of the forest floor and it appeared the men assigned to protect it were somewhere else; most likely looking for him. He slowly made his way over and noticed the back hatch of the door was open, his curiosity getting the best of him.

Hesitating slightly, he slowly went inside the cold and dark automotive, walking up the ramp. He felt the closest space of wall and was happy to find a light switch, turning it on to find what seemed to be a room full of an array of items. It held a plain wooden desk, two flimsy chairs, and to the right of it was a rather large cage; Shadow wouldn't be surprised if it was intended for him. Also within the car was a large storage box that seemed heavily protected. It had an iron lock upon it which seemed indestructible. From the looks of this place, Shadow knew it was an important car of the army. The hedgehog turned back to the plans on the table, some which had been rolled open. He raised an eyebrow and his eyes caught the sight of something on the documents that deeply angered him.

His hands brought up a large page of blue prints for the ARK; dated before they raided and killed everyone on it. With his heart rate quickening, he picked up documented spy photos of the activities around the ARK, including some pictures and sketches of what appeared to be him and who he associated with. He shifted to the next piece of paper and found a whole biography on himself and possible future tests they could perform. That was if they could get him back into custody, of course.

He soon turned to the last piece of document and was immediately enraged by what he saw. There were papers of even possibly imprisoning his friends. If they were caught with him, they would be doomed to the same fate as he. It was going too far; GUN sought to destroy now his present allies. First the ARK and now his three saviors? He wouldn't stand for it- other people suffering because of him again. He slowly looked down upon the folders scattered across the desk, a copy of what Sonic was holding right now. Squeezing his eyes tightly in pain, he dropped the papers and then looked back down to the folders, another fresh memory flooding back into his mind.

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The black hedgehog remained huddled inside a cleaning closet, his knees held tightly to his chest. His hand, which was flat against his mouth, was there to hold sound in. As small footsteps wondered past the tiny room, his shoulders shook as he tried to hide a chuckle. It almost slipped when the feet walked back down the hall to right in front of the door, the light azure color revealing exactly who it was.

"Shadow the hedgehog, you better come out here!" said Maria in an irritated voice. Although it sounded annoyed, it was easy to tell it had sweet undertones. Anyone who knew the blonde girl well could tell she was too nice to ever be angry. She easily had to be one of the nicest people you could meet. As she tapped her foot in an annoyed pace, Shadow could only roll his eyes, slowly standing up and swinging open the door in front of her.

"Way to ruin the game." he said, giving her a playful look. Anyone who knew the hedgehog currently would of keeled over; Shadow looked generally happy. Ruby eyes twinkled as they rested on the girl, shifting his hanging hands to placing one on his hip. "Why do we have to go see Gerald again?" he asked, obviously not wanting to go. No offense to Gerald, he just didn't have the heart to go to lessons.

Maria laughed lightly and took his hand, pulling him in the obvious direction. "We have teachings, you know that! You know how miffed Grandfather gets if we miss it." she said, shaking her head at her friend. Shadow playfully groaned but she knew he was kidding; even if Shadow was happier at this time, he was still stubborn. The fair girl turned to him, awaiting for him to stop it. "Are you done?"

Shadow gave her a look, a smirk etching on his face. "Fine. To make you happy." he said, his face going back to its calm self. They began to walk towards the school end of the ARK, Maria breaking the silence with her soft voice.

"Shadow? Can I tell you something?" she suddenly came to a stop, her cerulean eyes looking thoughtful.

The black hedgehog turned to her in interest, crossing his arms. "What's wrong?" he asked, raising a gentle brow.

She suddenly looked at him with a surprisingly sad face, her shoulders giving a shrug. "I just wanted to say that you're the best friend I could ever have." she looked at him softly, her phrase came out quietly with the power to stun the black hedgehog. He wasn't sure if it was the sincerity of her words or how random they were that threw him off. He slowly uncrossed his arms and walked in front of her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you, Maria. The feelings are mutual..." he said, trying to be as kind as he could. His eyebrows lowered in concern at this but he didn't speak about it, knowing Maria would say it. She certainly did after looking sheepishly up at him, rubbing at her shoulder when he removed his hand.

"I don't know. I just have a funny feeling." she said, laughing a bit.

Shadow smiled and shook his head playfully, his eyes looking at the ceiling. "You and your worries. C'mon, Maria." he said, his warm grin turning into a smirk. "Care to race to solve your troubles?" the girl laughed in response, starting to walk a bit.

"You always let me win, Shadow!" The hedgehog was about to retort until the whole ARK shook, the huge tremor causing the lights to flicker on and off. Maria automatically leapt for Shadow, grabbing him in fear. She wrapped her arms around him and he held her protectively for a moment, both of them relaxing when the lights turned off.

"...What was that?" he questioned out loud, his eyes scanning over everything. Shadow knew this was definitely not normal. Maria soon let go of her iron grasp and looked around, her face looking troubled.

"I don't know. Let's go ask Grandfather." It was easy to tell she was nervous, but trying to remain calm. At least Shadow being by her side could relax her. He nodded and they moved quietly towards his office, trying to fight off the tension they were feeling. They were far too secretly nervous to say anything, just speed walking to Dr. Robotnik's office. It wasn't long until they were shocked once again, the alarm system within the ship beginning to go off. The hallways flashed red, the sound of a loud siren ringing through the chambers. Shadow took a deep breath and took the young girls hand, running the rest of the way. It didn't take long even with a normal running pace to make it to his office, pressing the button to open the door.

Dr. Gerald looked in a panic as he tried to gather up his research, automatically relieved when he saw the two race in. Shadow came in first following Maria, looking at him in bewilderment. He came over to them with a clean sweat on his bald head, his chest taking in swift breaths. The stout man in a lab coat wasn't looking his usual intelligent calm, but was in a state of insane hysteria.

"The military has finally done it; they raided the Space Colony ARK." he said, looking at the two for their reactions.

Maria looked internally horror stuck and any word could set her off. She stared at her Grandfather with sudden hope, believing there had to be a way out. Shadow had his usual calm but it had a streak of shocked anger, but he was containing it very well. Maria stepped towards the two with determination, trying to make light of the situation. "There has to be something we can do for all the workers, Grandpa."

The old man's shoulders drooped in failure and you could sense the heartbreak he was feeling. His whole dream was coming to a rocky end, so many having to suffer because of it. He then gave a small shrug, looking up at his Granddaughter in grief. "We can only hope all of us make it out alive, Maria." He took a shaky breath and looked to Shadow, having a trusting face on. "Get Maria out and to safety, Shadow. Try your hardest; prove that you're better than them." he said, the ARK giving a small shake again. The black hedgehog stared at his creator with a stern yet intent expression.

"I'll protect her with my life." was all he said.

Shadow then took Maria by the arm and gave one more lasting look to the doctor, and then ran them down the left passageway. He ran at a speed that was fast yet one that Maria could keep up. He made sure his gloved hand held onto her delicate fingers tightly, taking her down the closest corridor. He had long ago memorized most of the hallways but always thought the escape route was hard. He never, ever thought he'd have to use it.

He took a few more lefts on their way and one more right, Shadow and Maria getting closer and closer. They were coming to the point where both were getting tired and using as much adrenaline that they could muster. The blonde was panting quietly behind him but never missed a step, knowing it was serious that she kept up. The black hedgehog was looking strong-willed as he took them to a sharp left but suddenly halted. With their backs to them, there was a large group of GUN soldiers. Shadow had stood stunned for a moment and then swiveled them to the right, pushing his feet as hard as he could. They heard their racing footsteps and took off after them, screaming after the hedgehog. He pushed the door's button swiftly and they ran in, pushing another to close it off. He then pressed 'LOCK' above it and finally took a breath, looking forward.

The whole hallway was glass from ceiling to floor, giving the ability to view the stars from any angle. Even if it seemed thin, it was strong and sturdy, able to take a large amount of weight. It was this corridor to the single escape pod at the end; it was just what the two were looking far. Though it was a long run, Shadow was sure they could make it in time. They ran as fast as they could until there was a large crack from the other side; the troops were trying to break in.

The black hedgehog had sped ahead, too determined to save his young friend. He continued until he heard the doors swishing open quickly, turning his head to see the few men fill the room. Shadow automatically swung himself in front of Maria and took a deep breath, drawing her close and preparing to die if needed. Each looked upon their target with a malicious glint in their eyes, raising their gun. They had orders to bring him and it didn't matter if it was alive or not. He growled deep in his throat and was about ready to charge, until an ear shattering sound filled the air. One of the men had shot their gun off and instead of it hitting the hedgehog, they shot the young girl straight in the chest. She jumped in front of him at the last minute, risking her own life for her best friend.

For Shadow, time practically stopped. It felt as if the whole world stopped turning and everything paused, the next set of actions in slow motion. He remembered seeing her hit the floor with a soft thud and only a few seconds after, her blood was pooling around her. Shadow shook with an uncontrollable sadness as he took her in his grasp, looking at the people who did this to her. His lips trembled as he tried to contain the shout he was hiding, rushing her towards the escape room in a blink of an eye. After opening the door and locking it right away, his hand sunk straight down the wall. His shoulders shook as he felt her blood staining his fur, releasing one of the deepest sobs. He fell to his knees with her right to the floor, shocked when he saw her eyes open.

The usual light in them was gone but there was still a glimmer of hope, the girl looking up at Shadow with sadness. Her voice was very soft and tired, Shadow having to strain to hear it. She weakly lifted her hand as if it was a great pain to do so, wiping a tear from the corner of her friend's eye. "Don't cry, Shadow..." she said, taking a deep breath. "Everything will be okay."

Shadow took her hand and lowered it to her chest, holding it with a gentle clasp. "Shh, don't talk too much." he said, trying to remain calm. He swallowed hard as he looked down at her blood smeared dress, seeing the bullet hole in the cloth easily. His heart completely wilted away at the sight, just about ready to crack. Maria saw this and tried to comfort him once again, giving as much energy she could when she squeezed his hand back.

"This will be better in the end Shadow, I know it." she said, a gram of faith still in her voice. "Things always happen for a reason. You'll do so many great things, Shadow. That's what you were made for. You'll overcome everything better than anyone else." Her eyes were looking more and more distant, her ability of breathing much harder. "It would be selfish for me to stay here a minute longer and prevent your escape." She closed her eyes, her skin looking clammier than ever before. "Good luck, Shadow the hedgehog."

Those were her last dying words before her breathing came to a slow stop, Shadow adding his own last comfort to her.

"You too, best friend." was all he said, before she went completely limp in his arms. The hedgehog stared down at her lifeless body for a few more moments until he lowered her fully to the floor, fixing her blonde locks away from her beautiful face. It was as if he knew it would be the last time he saw her. After biting his lip as fresh tears pooled up at the corner of his eyes, he drew in a weak breath. He then stroked a hand over her cheek until the door before him rattled, going to break in seconds. Shadow closed his eyes painfully and then snapped them open, hearing the voice of those behind it. The depression he would be suffering for most of his life quickly changed to anger, Shadow feeling a fire in his soul he had never felt before.

He stood wobbly at first and took in ragged breaths, his crimson eyes burning with an on-coming temper as the door swung open. Shadow didn't wait a minute as he roared out, springing into action towards the men. He automatically tackled the first one and viciously snapped his neck, not taking long to reach his next victims. In only minutes Shadow had every man reduced to a motionless corpse, killing every one who stepped foot in his radius. It was as if he was under a spell of fury, losing all memories of decency. After disposing of each solider in the room, he landed in the middle of the mess, picking up each of their bodies and dragging them into the hallway. He stripped his bloody gloves and held Maria's body for one more time, lowering her lifeless form into the escape tube.

He pressed the button and the sound of compressed air was released, Shadow looking her over for the last time. She'd have her wish: going to planet earth. He watched it depart from the ship and fall into the atmosphere, going onto its own journey. It was too late for Shadow to help her now; he had failed her in the long run. It hit him like a ton of bricks she was dead and it was entirely his fault. His hand wondered onto the glass as he clutched at nothing, his heart forever broken.

Shadow would never be the same.

He closed his eyes once again in hope to have some time to mourn his dead friend, but the sound of more footsteps became heard. This once again switched on his anger as he turned and raced towards the troops. They were filling the hallway in a swarm, both them and Shadow knowing that they could easily over power him. Yet he continued to fight, tumbling into to them. Some got the same fate as the men before, whichever ones Shadow could get his hands on. But like a wave, soldiers pilled in and all seemed to have one thing on their mind: capture the Project.

The black hedgehog fought as long as he could, but his body was tiring. Once again, he was failing and it was himself this time. He fought as long as he could but the mob of men only grew stronger, tackling him and keeping him in a pin. He was captured by their brute force and had no way of getting out, far too weak to fight anymore. They had captured him and succeeded.

GUN had successfully attacked the ARK and captured Shadow, leaving little to no survivors behind.

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As the memory ended in Shadow's head, he had found the plans in his hands sprawled out on the desk. His palms were pressed onto the hard surface and he was undeniably shaking. Everything was trembling about him, down to his breath and his mind. One could easily tell he was clutching the paper until his knuckles turned white, trying to continue to control his anger. That same explosion from the day of the ARK's raid was rising, the first time being within Shadow since he escaped.

He suddenly without warning took all the plans and ripped them to shreds, letting them fall to the floor around him into the tiniest of pieces. This was not enough to satisfy his lust for revenge, but to only fuel it. He knocked everything off the desk to the floor and had frantically looked around the room. Just by that action, he was feeling more and more powerful than before. He couldn't explain it; he could only describe it as if someone was throwing gasoline on his fire. It didn't take long for him to figure out because he felt the small vibration of the Chaos Emerald throughout his form.

He took it from its hiding place, from behind his head quills and stared at it in surprise. The hedgehog's look quickly changed to sinister when the ends of his dark smile curled, his brows lowering while his pupils grew. The emerald only glowed in glee to this and Shadow was once again startled. The large, locked-up chamber beside him seemed to be glowing with a strange light. He turned to it and in his angry power snapped the metal lock in two, throwing it to the floor besides him. He slowly opened the hatches of the cabinet and his smirk only grew larger. His fangs glinted as he eyed the treasure happily, almost forgetting about the chaos emerald in his hand.

It wouldn't matter, though; if he dropped the one he held, there were six other ones gleaming in delight right in front of him.

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	14. The Power of the Chaos Emeralds

Yay, I'm actually got this up. I'm not sure if I'm into the writing I did in this, but my editor insists that it's good. I don't know, you guys have to be the judge.

This story is so much long than I intended it to be. I though it would be like twenty chapters tops. I think it may even go over that. Well, whatever it needs to be finished, it has to be done. The ending is a good one, and most likely for you, an unexpected one. I can't give away anymore, but I don't want anyone to hate me. At least I'm not taking TamarinWest's and killing off Shadow; not that I didn't think about it...

Now I'm getting into the part where one of them notices their feelings for the other. At first, I didn't know how to write it. But now I have an idea. Can't wait to have you guys read it!

Anyway, I'll shut up. Enjoy the chapter and make sure you comment! I didn't get as many as I usually did last week. I like them, they make me feel better.

**Name**: 'Chained By Love'

**Rating**: Teen/PG-13 (might go up)

**Pairings**: SonicxShadow, possible KnuxRouge

**Warning**: Male/Male relationship; don't read if you don't like it

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Sonic had ran towards the backyard with Knuckles trailing slightly behind, determined to reach the two-tailed fox's workshop. All the thoughts in his head were blank except for one: the idea of saving Shadow. Even if the once mystery hedgehog had gotten out, he didn't have long to stay hidden; it was futile to try and escape GUN. Knuckles, who was worried but not as frantic as Sonic, tried to calm the blue one down.

"Sonic, don't panic. He'll be okay; he's tough enough," he said, raising a suspicious eyebrow. The hedgehog before him turned to the echidna with bright emerald eyes, knowing this wasn't true.

"Knuckles, don't be stupid. We can't leave him alone out there, he's practically defenseless." He fully stopped and turned to him, a look of concern evident on his face. "You know they'll tear him apart; he needs all the help we can give." They exchanged one more look until Knuckles nodded in full understanding. It didn't take them long until they approached the young kitsune's door, opening it reluctantly. Tails was quietly typing into a calculator and writing with a pencil on graphing paper, looking too drawn into his work to hear the commotion of the soldiers. Sonic ran to him, panting slightly, which alerted the canine. He looked back to him and shifted his head to the side in confusion.

"What's wrong, Sonic?" he asked, his small tails waving behind him. The blue hedgehog hunched over with his hands on his knees, giving him a sincere look. He knew his best friend would do anything for him.

"I need you to hack into GUN's computer, Tails." The small fox was about to interrupt but Sonic spoke before him. "Look up the name 'Shadow the Hedgehog'; you have to." He looked desperate in his own small way, the two others in the room exchanging looks. It didn't take long for Tails to nod, slowly pushing his office chair to the computer desk. He cleared the loose printer paper off the counter top, looking to Sonic as he quickly typed.

"As I do this, just who is 'Shadow the Hedgehog'?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. The hero quickly explained to Tails what just happened and his expression changed from interested to concerned in seconds. "Are you serious?! He's a runaway from GUN?"

Sonic could only nod slowly, sighing. "Apparently; I don't know much more than that, though- like why he's apart of GUN somehow. That's why I need you to do this." he said, his green eyes intense as they stared at the other's blue. Tails nodded and turned back to the screen, Knuckles joining the conversation with a look on his face.

"He really has to be important to GUN if they are so intent on finding him. I bet they're infesting the whole island." He growled at the thought, his sharp canines gleaming. Sonic nodded, shaking his head.

"You know GUN, they're stubborn as hell." All three nodded in agreement, no one bothering to deny such a fact.

It wasn't long until the computer chirped a beep to signify Tails was getting closer to breaking in. He used all the hacking knowledge he could remember, to the point his fingers were working as fast as they could. He was picking out all the numbers in his brain, being successful in the end. As he let out a sigh of triumph, the GUN acceptance screen came on as he turned to Sonic.

"We're in."

Sonic looked happy and had turned to Knuckles, raising an eyebrow. "They said 'Shadow the Hedgehog', right? Or didn't someone say, 'Project: Shadow?" he questioned, hoping the other would know for certain. Amethyst eyes blinked, shrugging.

"I think they might have said the first one. I was kind of distracted by the other description they gave; you know, the one stating he was a danger to society." Sonic gave him a weird look, unsure if he was kidding or not. Before he could say anything else, Tails had interrupted, not wanting to hear anything started.

"I'll type both in, don't worry." Once again the small fox's fingers went to work, the keys clicking as he pressed them. After a few more moments it fully loaded, giving a whole page on him. They all looked in surprised and blinked, Tails turning to the blue hedgehog.

"Where should I look first?"

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It hadn't taken too long for everyone to read what had happened in the GUN fortress. At the end of the small biography, they all looked highly disturbed. They had taken turns reading it out out loud and every detail said had left a cold aftershock. They learned about everything; how Shadow was forced into the basement jails and left to rot, the tests they performed on him after they drugged him a considerate amount, and how they had done all they could with him. They tested his resistance against certain chemicals, his steadily decreasing strength, and the fact of his immortality. Certain drugs were the ways of regulating his age. Shadow was much older than he appeared, which was about the same age as the other hedgehog and echidna in the room. He looked their age but he was actually over fifty years old; he was a marvel to science. It was also a tragedy, knowing how he had to suffer no natural end to his life. The only way for him to be killed was by an outside source but never of a 'natural' cause.

The facts read out loud had not only hit Sonic hard, but disgusted him. They also made him feel extremely guilty. He thought the tragedies he faced as a hero were bad; he was faced with much worse. And it was no better when they had read about his past and how he got into GUN the first place. Sonic had now found about the misfortune of Maria and the ARK. When they were done reading about his past, Tails had quietly commented.

"I heard about that spaceship, but never was told it was raided. No one outside the government really knew; everyone just assumed it closed." he said, his heart sinking. The two others in the room matched the same level. Knuckles was mostly quiet, reading the least. He was just silent and studying the ground, trying to take in all the information he was receiving. He knew he never really liked them, but hearing that humans did this made him all the more appalled. Sonic was feeling just as upset, trying to also process this; he was different, though. He felt completely numb. The idea he had just seen him a half an hour ago and now he may never see him again had put him into a shock.

They all sat frozen for a second until Knuckles was the first to leak another question.

"...how did he get out?" he said, his voice mystified. Even for someone who didn't know too much about recent technology, anyone could guess it wasn't easy. GUN was so hi-tech with a grand amount of money that Shadow had to be real clever to get out. Tails had given a shrug. "I didn't look it up; I could..." his fingers weren't still for long, typing in that search. It came up instantly, Tails clicking on it with silence. The mouse button being pressed was the only sound between any of them.

The page loaded with another story listed, Sonic's eyes scanning over it. They all decided to read this one to themselves, each one picturing it as Shadow's own vivid memory.

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Shadow, who usually was used to his self-boredom, just didn't feel he could take it today. He weakly sat hunched in front of the jail bars as his fingers mindlessly played with his chains. He appeared like when the three first saw him: weak, thin, and starved beyond reality. His face was gaunt and blank, while his eyes almost appeared to be dead. It was even worse than when they first met him. The bags under his eyes were as dark as the shadows in his cell, the hedgehog trying to find some way to entertain himself.

This was a usual day. He'd sit in the cell in silence, usually thinking to himself and trying to make good of the time he had. But when this is average, you crave anything out of the ordinary. Even though he hated all of them, sometimes he enjoyed when someone came down to see him. Though most of the time they were going to treat him like crap, at least he was able to communicate somehow.

That's why when the solid metal door had slid opened, Shadow had jumped at the sound. His ears perked and his shoulders lifted, shifting so he could see who it was. When he spotted a not too special solider just making his daily rounds, he grunted and departed from the front of the cell. He tucked himself nicely into the darkness in the back, the man stopping right in front of his cage. When Shadow looked him over, he could tell he was certainly new here. Not only that, but naive. The man struggled to see the infamous 'Ultimate Life Form', the only creature to reside in this prison for years.

As he did so, both of them were surprised when another man joined the basement. He seemed to smile at the sight of his fellow solider, striking up an easy conversation. Shadow rolled his eyes and wished they wouldn't talk here. That was the case until something shiny caught his eye. Creeping closer, he made sure he was silent so that the men wouldn't notice his presence. He continued forward until he reached the bars, finally seeing what was so enticing. It was the keys to his actual cell; this must of been the new guard duty. Oh, what a great job they were doing with their backs to him and laughing loud enough to drown any other sound.

Shadow's thin arm easily made it between the cracks of the bars, trying to reach the keys. They were only so far, but they were at an odd angle. There was no way the weak hedgehog was going to reach it, even if he tried. He frowned but as he looked away, something much better caught his eye. He examined it from his spot with a silence, knowing he could easily reach it. That object tucked away in the belt of the man was a gun; a semiautomatic pistol, to be exact. And the heavily dangerous piece of metal was calling to Shadow.

He strained as he reached for the man's gun, trying to be as quiet as possible. They still didn't notice, which was lucky for Shadow. The black hedgehog was on his shaking tipy-toes as he finally reached close enough, his body tight between the bars. He grabbed it as slowly as he could so he didn't bring any attention to his actions. It wasn't long until he finally took it in his hand, it strongly weighing down his palm down. He tucked it behind his back for both men were finishing up their conversation. The young man turned to Shadow in surprise after the other guard left, but then lowered to his knee with a smirk.

"So, you're the one that everyone talks about here..." he said softly, his cat-like grin growing wider. Shadow stared back at him with a serious face, awaiting his right moment. The man laughed a bit, raising an eyebrow. "You don't even look that scary."

It was at that moment Shadow pulled out the gun with all the speed he could muster, pointing directly at the young man's forehead. The once cocky soldier looked in fear and just then noticed a lighter weight on his belt, his heart dropping. It would be the last breath he took until he hit the floor in a heap, wishing he could have taken his words back. Shadow had dropped to the floor next to him and his heart raced; he was going to break free, no matter what. He searched the man and finally found the highly technical keys. They consisted of one small silver one, a card, and a larger bronze key. He looked at the lock to his door and saw it required much more than that. He decided to use the next best thing: once again, the pistol.

Shadow aimed towards the highly secure lock and shot right at it, short circuiting the powerful device. It popped with a bang and sizzled with now ruined wiring. There was a thick silence until an alarm system sounded, and the black hedgehog knew he had to get the hell out of there. He pushed open the door and didn't even hesitate to bathe in his achievement. He ran towards the solid steel door and saw the card scanner, removing the keys from behind his head quills. With one quick swipe he was out the door, clutching the keys in one hand and the gun in the other.

It didn't take long for the men to be alerted of his escape, rushing to bring him back down. Shadow was first approached at the opening of the large stairs from the basement, taking his gun out before any other could. He was so blessed to have such speed and he was using it to his advantage, aiming and firing to bring another man down. He leapt over him as he fell and continued forward as if it was nothing. It was a struggle to keep reminding himself that these people had made him suffer, that they made Maria suffer. This only drove him further as he lowered his brows, pushing himself more.

He skidded through the aisles as more and more men attempted to stop him, but Shadow kept shooting them down. One by one they'd slip to the ground, Shadow at the trigger end of the barrel. It was easy to say he had a natural aim; this wasn't surprising, judging he was the ultimate 'weapon'. He barely had to put any thought into his position when he stood tall and pulled the trigger, his own speed matching the bullet. He noticed he was running lower and lower on ammo and that he couldn't use it sparingly. He would grab anything he could find on the solider if he had the time, which included more ammunition. He barely remembered this facility and they had changed it around since the past fifty years, their technology getting much better.

In fact, they now had even more powerful robots! Some of them flew, some of them were seven feet high, and some were loaded with missiles. Shadow had tried his hardest to avoid these and had wasted many bullets trying to bring them down. The black hedgehog was good in his moves, barely faltering because of his weak condition. He remained powerful with his weapons, using both them and his body. He had kicked many men down to the ground, snapped their necks, and knocked the wind out of them with his moves. Shadow still had some flow.

He felt like he was going through a mess of hallways, each looking the same with an equal amount of men jumping out at him. At this rate, he'd drop from exhaustion or would be taken down by a large enough group. He had to find a way out. It was perfect timing when he found a large glowing sign saying 'EXIT' with an arrow pointing in the direction. Shadow took a deep breath as he picked up his speed down the long hallway, knowing the voices behind him were the men trying to get him. He was only seconds away from the doors and no one was in his way; they were all too busy either behind him or in the base somewhere else in search for the hedgehog. He pushed them open and took the deepest breath he could force, his lungs collecting the fresh air. He was officially out of the building, but not the premises. There was still a gate to jump.

When he got outside, he started to panic. They had to have something else waiting for him. His answer was found when he skidded to a stop, a huge brigade of men with guns in front of him. Shadow had long ago dropped his gun when he was completely ridden of bullets. He automatically turned to the left and ran towards the closest part of the gate, having to dodge every bullet they shot at him. He got scathed by one and he let out a hiss of pain, but he didn't stop. He didn't even clutch his shoulder as it bled, the other array of cuts from his romp tuning out the pain.

He automatically jumped up to the spokes of the gate, climbing as best as he could. His frail arms had clutched the metal and pulled him up, Shadow's face noticeably straining. It was at this point he wasn't sure if he was going to make it. Many of the men were recharging their weapons but some still shot, barely missing the escaping hedgehog. Some were climbing right after him, fighting to catch his ankle. But Shadow continued to push onwards to the point he reached the barb wires on the top. Shadow, not caring how sharp the little blades were, had climbed as high as he could, leapt over, and curled into a ball as he was midair. They just missed from sawing into him, but he got scratched a bit. Shadow amazingly landed on the ground and uncurled, taking off like a rocket.

Shadow had finally escaped, achieving his goal of freedom.

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Sonic knew he didn't have long after reading that piece on history. At this point, Shadow could of been anywhere. He tore away from Tails shed with a quick explanation to the other two to where he was going and then left without a trace. He didn't even bother going past the house when he ran towards the forest, having only the black hedgehog's safety in mind. But as he ran he was in deep thought, trying to process everything he just learned.

The blue hero was surprised he wasn't devastated by the killings Shadow made. It made him feel not only wrong, but confused. Why wasn't he deeply disturbed as he usually would be? Why wasn't he held back from trying to save his life? Sonic felt quite the opposite; he felt he needed to find him. Maybe it was to help save him because he was his friend, or because he felt it was justified. Was Shadow's murders in the name of his own justice? Or were they just like all killings: brutal and animalistic? Sonic could barely think about it when suddenly Amy Rose stepped in his way, the blue hedgehog skidding to a stop.

"Sonic! What is with all this military over here!?" she asked, looking unusually annoyed. The blue hedgehog just shrugged and walked past her; he honestly didn't have the time or patience at the moment.

"Amy, I can't talk. Shadow needs my help." was all he said, taking off without another glance at her. Amy turned to him and growled, calling out to him.

"Shadow...?! WHO THE HELL IS SHADOW!?" was all she screamed, until the valley went quiet of her echo.

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Sonic completely ignored her cry, continuing on his run to find the hedgehog. He had to remember to avoid GUN as much as possible, which would be a hard task. As he ran on his trail he had to flee a multiple amount of times, almost being caught by the military. They were invading the island completely and Sonic wouldn't be surprised if they knew he was running around. He swiftly tried to make his way through the most condensed areas, trying to remember which places they wouldn't think to look. He was coming up with nothing so far, which really concerned him. Where could Shadow be?

It was then he had a weird vibe. What if he was caught already? Sonic visibly paled as he slowed down, giving a sigh. He placed his hands on his knees as he tried to think. Where would be the last place to look...

The idea hit him like a rock on the head. Of course! Check GUN sources. He nodded as once again he took off, but much more quiet. Sonic now had to be on his guard, knowing the others were on theirs as well. He snuck towards one of their bases which was much smaller than their usual ones. It was most likely being re-located, which was strange; no one was in sight. Sonic continued to creep closer to the vehicle in front of him, which was alone in the area. He figured to start there first, since no one else seemed to be here. He took it step by step, making his way closer and closer until he finally opened the hatch door. He was very much relieved by what he saw, but not for long.

There was Shadow in the middle of the massive truck, with his back facing Sonic. The hero could see him visibly shaking, which couldn't of been a good sign. He slowly took a few steps forward as he hesitated, not knowing what else more to do.

"...Shadow?" was all he said, his voice a whisper. For some reason, this was the trigger to Shadow's explosive rage. Shadow turned to Sonic with a snarl, the quills on the back of his neck raised. He looked defensive as he stood in front of him, his eyes gleaming in a way Sonic never saw before. He licked at his fangs hungrily and this was the only beginning of his transformation.

Suddenly Shadow's quills were no longer black; they were slowly starting to lighten. The ebon of his coat was quickly fading to a whitish-gold, though his streaks remained. He bent over as if he was transforming into a beast, the chaos emeralds behind him being the source of his power. They glowed brightly almost with a buzz, giving the feeling that they'd burst with power. They raised into the air and circled the hedgehog all while Sonic watched in horror, knowing exactly what was happening. But the next thing that came was truly amazing, almost as a sign that it was the end of his change.

As Shadow stood powerful and tall in the glowing aura surrounding him, he felt a crack around his neck; the sound of metal snapping into two. As he looked down, he got his answer. Each link of the rusted chains were crumbling to bits and chunks, falling to the floor around him. He caught a few crumbs in his hand as the final debris rested on the ground, closing his palm around the fragments. When he opened his tough hands, one could see he shrunk the pieces to the smallest of dust. He gave a cocky smirk as he looked to Sonic before him with a sadistic look, ready to take on anything.

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I hope you liked it, and remember to comment!


	15. Taming the Raging Beast

I didn't think I'd get this chapter up until tomorrow, but I worked extra hard to get it edited and done. Last night was a crazy Halloween; VERY crazy Halloween. That's all you really need to know about that.

Anyway, my editor gave me a good feeling about this chapter; he said not only were there no errors, but it was just amazing to read. I hope you guys feel the same! Your opinions matter the most to me, so don't be afraid to comment it. Eh, just make sure you comment in general. To everyone who does and has before, I want to thank you now. You guys make it amazing to write, I love reading your comments. I even like reading the bad ones! Even if they make me all pissy, it still makes me happy people are reading and commenting. Though I would like if you enjoy it...

Believe me, this chapter is going to make a lot of things come undone. Don't worry, I promise all you Sonadow fans will get something soon. I know that feeling; the wait is a killer.

I hope you like! So, without further adieu...

**Name**: 'Chained By Love'

**Rating**: Teen/PG-13 (might go up)

**Pairings**: SonicxShadow, possible KnuxRouge

**Warning**: Male/Male relationship; don't read if you don't like it

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Sonic stared back down at himself, curious.

How could Shadow turn super and not himself?

He really should of questioned why Shadow could turn super at all. Here stood Sonic, the only one who really could of turned Super and he had finally met his irate equal. Someone who was pretty much, at this point, everything he wasn't and everything he could be. Not only was he was as fast as him but he held the ungodly power of going Super. Super Sonic wasn't the only powerful hedgehog on this planet.

But still, it would really help for him to stop thinking and boost himself up. Yet as hard as he tried, he couldn't. His wide eyes viewed downwards in an act of thought, finding his answer to why. The other hedgehog had rings around his ankles, as well as two around his muscular wrists. Sonic guessed he found them in the hide-out of the emeralds. The hedgehog of interest stared down at the current weaker of the two, his eyes still vividly red. His crimson stripes, though noticeably dimmer than his gold locks, still had an iridescent glow. He shoes, which weren't even in use as he hovered, pointed downward as he gathered strength. Sonic took one more breath and in a split second almost lost his life.

Shadow's hand head been aimed right for his head, but it instead made a dent in the wall. The velocity of the punch had actually sent the car on it's side, landing with a loud, metallic thud. Not only did Sonic roll over, but he fell right on his shoulder. He bit down on his lip to the point it was seconds from breaking, knowing his shoulder was out of place. He didn't even have reason to release his teeth as he was kicked forcefully in the stomach. Shadow's current calm expression seemed to show how little power he used. If he was in his mortal form, Shadow would have had to use all his might to muster such force. But now, it was like his legs was the wind; it felt like kicking air.

At the time of impact it hit Sonic with more energy than one he had ever felt before. It came smacking into him in seconds, ones that if he was at the top of his game, he'd miss in time. The beaten hero's body automatically curled into a fetal position, his whole stomach being instantly bruised. He wouldn't be surprised if he now had a hernia because of that blow. His eyes instantly closed after snapping forcefully open, spitting out a mass of blood. He breathed in shakily as his eyes flinched with pained tears, having both his body and his pride injured.

The glowing hedgehog said nothing as he gazed upon the withering creature below him, his shoulders lifting as he gave a single laugh. The smirk on his face looked more sinister than ever, his ruby orbs glimmering in the trucks little light. But as he stared upon the extremely hurt hedgehog, his smile began to weaken. What had he just done? This was someone who tried to help him. His arms instantly uncrossed as he looked down in horror, staring down at his own hands below. How could he have done such a thing? He instantly lowered to the ground and had backed away when his feet landed, shaking his head. As he continued to look down at his injured friend below him, all sense of control dropped once more.

The bruised and weak Sonic before him deeply reminded him of his long, lost friend. Images of Maria suffering popped into his mind. Was he no better than the men who turned him into this? Wait; Shadow hadn't even thought of them all this time. The ones who ruined his life and caused everyone pain. The soldiers who drove Shadow to channel rage to do this to his friend. As Sonic was beginning to come to, his eyes were cloudy and tired. Shadow had lowered down to his knee and rolled him onto his back, looking upon the damage. His whole upper body was bruised and it was apparent he had about three broken ribs. His heart continued to sink, never wanting to hurt any of his friends and he just did. All his emotions were taking a turn for the worst, quickly transforming to self hate and anger. He hissed in rage as he slowly stood, stepping over him with just one more sad look. He then continued to the darkening woods, each step the hedgehog took making the glow grow stronger. From what he observed, the rings were the power for the emeralds. He had to do what was needed in order to get his revenge: he had to find GUN.

His eyes narrowed as he took a deep breath, the glow continuing to grow larger. It blossomed into angry flames of light, Shadow speeding away with an amazing stride. He gated away and felt as if he was floating naturally, as if his feet never really touched the ground. It was much more deeper of a feeling than what the shoes could produce. He whizzed down the trail as he used his sense of direction, knowing easily where the army was located. Now because his new found power, he had extremely evolved senses. The ultra hedgehog glided through the lands until he met up with his first few victims, a small group separated from the main pack.

They weren't far from their camp grounds, but enough to be left alone without being bothered. They stood there, one of them appearing to drag a cigarette as each of them spoke quietly. Just at the thought of the men drove his instincts insane, his body hungry to attack. He held back though, taking a wide step, the fur on his now unchained neck standing. They continued to talk until one of the men had clutched his gun, hearing the small crack of a stick.

Each were completely silent as they remained on guard, relaxing when they heard laughter from the group nearby. The men quickly forgot about the creaking of the wood, not bothering to worry. Shadow had laughed even if he glowed brightly, knowing he hid easily from this distance. He didn't have to be too close to tackle. The thought of this only made him want more, his breath becoming heavier. He had a crazy look in his eye as he looked back towards them, not hesitating another moment. In seconds Shadow was in front of each, giving them blows to their most vulnerable parts.

Their deaths only showed how strong the injured blue hedgehog was.

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Sonic had slowly rolled onto his side, wincing at the pain he felt all over. He slowly gathered the energy to wipe the dribble of blood from his mouth, craning his neck to get a look around. His body shook weakly as he forced himself to stand, having to lean his shoulder on the wall of the turned over vehicle. His legs were limp and one could see how weakened he was by only two blows. He knew what he had to do which was fixing the unfilled socket, taking the pain of snapping it back into place. He bit back a yelp, wanting so badly to call out as a loud crack echoed. Instead he took a breath as he gathered his balance. It took him a time to adjust but eventually he got the hang of his woozy walking. He began to go normal again as he made his way through the forest, too determined to find him.

He started off in a light jog, not going fast at all by his normal standards. Then he began to get faster, going quicker and quicker until his body could finally handle his worried pace. He had forgotten about himself as he raced against the other's rage, knowing he'd only have so long. The blue hero jumped from rock to rock as he followed his intuition, praying he was going the right direction. He continued forward even if he had a high chance of being wrong, not wanting to be bothered by such a feeling. It didn't take long until he was in a full fledge run but then a skidding stop, having to haul to a quick finish. Dust picked up from the trails of dirt as he took a breath, seeing his life once again flash before his eyes. Right in his face stood more than a few muzzle of guns, knowing their shiny finish like no other.

The GUN soldiers had each weapon pointed directly at him, the blue hero smiling weakly. They exchanged nothing other than alertness and anger, Sonic taking a deep breath.

"My...what a coincidence?" he said weakly, trying to lighten the mood. Though this worked in backfire, some of the men cocking their guns. Sonic remained quiet as he didn't give away his deep fear, knowing he'd loose no matter what at this rate. He was far too tired and weak, being such any easy capture for GUN.

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Shadow shook his hands of the blood, the small droplets landing in the puddle gathering at his feet. He looked disgusted at the murky red liquid as he quickly jumped away, not interested in dirtying his shoes. He walked slowly forward as he surveyed their dead bodies and gave them one more look after he passed, not bothering to again. He knew he was not too far from the main camp, his real destination.

As he continued walking, his steps became suddenly slower. The hedgehog's temper was falling as he gathered seconds thoughts, running his fingers through his quills. Once again, what did he just do? Did he just kill men? Innocent or not, he wondered if they really deserved that fate. The thought of the soldiers having a family made his heart rate drop. He closed his eyes and sighed, trying to gather his thoughts. Was he being selfish in killing them as he desired his own revenge? Was he avenging himself, or Maria? His lids cracked open at the thought of how upset she'd be. Shadow knew that she would in no way be happy at him for doing this. She'd find what he was doing not justified but wrong, even if GUN had wronged both him and her. This would probably not only be a lost cause to her, but a terrible one at that.

Maria had always told Shadow to do the right thing. Was this exactly the 'right thing'? Shadow didn't know, but at this point, he felt too far in the game. Not only that, but he was just so hurt. He felt another rush of distress build within him as he flexed his muscular fingers, baring his fangs. He lowered his sight to the ground, this being the first time he noticed the chains were gone. He came to a full stop and blinked, unable to believe. They had shattered in the process of him gathering strength. No wonder he had felt so light! He hands had reached up to the skin of the back of his neck, the fur being much softer and weaker where the clamp had been. You could tell it had been a long time since it had felt fresh air. His wrists, now covered by the rings, had light scars to were the metal had dug. But as his fingers traveled to his throat his hissed in pain, pulling them away automatically. There was still an open wound, but why didn't it bleed? He guessed it was due to his artificial power. At this time he wouldn't be concerned about it, because he had came face to face with the camp. And with the first sight he saw, his anger once again flared.

He saw Sonic being grabbed and cuffed, the hedgehog looking down with annoyance. He looked up at them with irritated eyes as they regarded he was being held for trespassing, the hedgehog having a look of pure hate at the moment. They pushed him away and he nearly tripped, the hero struggling slightly in his handcuffs. Shadow growled quietly and had totally lost his second thoughts, pushing them in the back of his mind. GUN had to pay, no argument about it. Just the sight of the other being captured on his expense drove him up the wall. Not only that, but he was injured (by none other than him) and being pushed around. Shadow barley hesitated when he lunged forward, eager to wreck havoc on everyone else.

Sonic continued forward with his head held high and his eyes half-lidded, walking with a dignified step towards the holding cells. That was until the ground below him shook and he tumbled to his feet, landing with his stomach to the soil. He turned his head over his shoulder to see a huge cloud of smoke traveling towards him, quickly closing his eyes and lowering his head to his chest. The dust and bits of pieces had blown past him, the hedgehog coughing as he continued to try to protect himself. The small fire was dying down as Shadow traveled past powerful flames, as if they didn't burn at all. He continued to glow with an even stronger light as chaos energy gathered in his hand, prepping for another hit to the base.

The blue hero didn't take long to stand himself up, not wanting to be in the way of yet another explosion. It was a good idea he ran as the other one hit, just missing him and his steps. Others weren't so fortunate when the orbs of energy met them, being blasted away with nothing left behind. Sonic came to an abrupt stop, still cuffed, as Shadow continued to destroy everyone in his path. He needed to find a way out of these cuffs first. He ran around, feeling helpless as he looked for a spare key on the belts of men. On the fallen body of one man he saw a glint and went over, his smile of relief turning to a frown. The young man was severely hurt if not dead, since the hedgehog could not see his chest rise. He narrowed his eyes and looked to the other hedgehog, growling angrily. Friend or not, he could not do this; his job was to protect everyone and Sonic had to do just that.

He sat with his back to the man and grabbed the key with his impaired hands. He unlocked the first one with strain and smiled as he moved it along his chafing wrist. He then undid the other and threw the metal locks away, rushing towards the enraged Shadow. More and more bodies were scattered around as Shadow deflected their bullets, easily defeating any artifact of GUN. If it was flesh, metal, or any resemblance of those things, Shadow was blasting it to ashes. Sonic thought quickly and knew he'd have to be even faster to save everyone else. The blue hedgehog, even with his bad injuries, charged the other from behind. Though Shadow's ears perked he did not catch the other's sound fast enough, being tackled to the ground. If he was paying attention, he could of deflected him easily, but Sonic caught the better of him. It was fancy maneuvering from the blue hedgehog when him and Shadow rolled to the ground, Sonic flipping the other onto his back. He held him by his wrists to the ground and his chest rose, his breath frantic when he spoke.

"Shadow, you need to stop this! You need to hear me out and ration-" Shadow sent a swift knee to the other's stomach but with much less power than the last blows he gave the other. It was enough to roll Sonic over and make him dizzy, though he got up and continued to race at Shadow's back. The glowing hedgehog was once again brought to the ground and he snarled, turning to Sonic with enraged eyes. The blue hedgehog was determined to win as he once again brought him down, having a lot of guts doing this when he knew Shadow could easily kill him. The next tackle had actually sent them rolling down a small incline of the ground, sending them away from the destruction above.

"Please, Shadow. Don't do this..." he tried his best to calm the hedgehog but to no avail. Shadow only fought back as their hands linked at their fingers, trying to push the other off him. Sonic struggled to lean the other to the ground while Shadow tried to force him off. The blue hedgehog didn't give up even as he sweated in his attempts, feeling like his body would crack from the pressure. Shadow was just so much stronger as he pushed back, though the one above him was giving a good fight. Sonic tightly shut his eyes as he continued to push back, letting out a groan as he felt his hands might crunch in the others. Finally, he took a deep breath as he shook in his attempts to fight him, letting a weak voice escape. "...I know what happened, Shadow."

This had stopped Shadow in his tracks and his grip had softened a great deal, but he still never let go of the other's hands. Sonic had sighed in pain relief as he looked at Shadow with exhausted eyes, his shoulders rising from his gasping breath and his quills were in disarray. "I know what they did to you and in no way does it justify over the years. You didn't deserve anything they did to the ARK or Maria. GUN has been corrupt for years and everyone knows they'll do anything in order to get what they want. They'll lie, they'll hurt, and they'll kill anyone in their path. You know from experience," he continued, his eyes softening at the sad sight of the other.

"But Shadow, after knowing you for so little but at the same time for so long, I know you're better than that. Maria did, too." it hurt the shocked hedgehog to hear the other speak her name, but it was all honesty. "You can't let them bring you down Shadow and you need to let go of blaming yourself; I can tell you still do. Maria would never be angry at you for what happened, but she wouldn't be happy for this," he paused. "I may not be the best person for advice, but I can be your best friend. I can help you out of this, I can teach you what you need in your life. We can all show you how you're better than this." he gave him pleading eyes, hoping it would reach the Shadow he knew in the beast. "Please...? For everyone who loved you and still does."

Sonic couldn't believe it himself when those words came out of him, unable to believe he said such things. The hedgehog, who at times wasn't all too bright, had recited what he felt deep down in his heart. It certainly astonished the one below him, Sonic able to feel the power drain from Shadow. His quills has settled to their normal appearance and the glowing had died down, bringing him to his ebony self. The red streaks had dimmed to their normal qualities and his eyes had gleamed, the rings shinning in their normal light. He had finally let Sonic bring him completely to the ground as he shut his eyes, letting the silence devour him.

The blue hedgehog felt the other submit and he didn't speak a word, letting the uneasiness in their air flow away. He was about to get up until Shadow had suddenly threw his arms around his neck, holding the blue hero in a tight hug. Sonic had been caught completely off guard as he froze for a moment, slowly placing his hands on the others back. It wasn't long until that grew into Sonic placing his hand in the other's head quills, bringing them close into an embrace. They both strangely clung to each other there as Shadow dug his face into the other's shoulder, feeling far too comfortable than he thought was right. Sonic felt the same way until something caught his attention; there was something making his fur very warm.

Shadow was starting to feel very faint and he pulled away from the other hedgehog, revealing a massive puddle of blood on the both of them. Shadow suddenly brought his hand to his gaping throat which leaked thick and dark blood, Sonic looking at the other mortified. He didn't even care his royal blue pelt was stained deep crimson, automatically grabbing the woozy Shadow. He was loosing a large amount of blood, the wound not staying healed when not in super form. It wasn't long for Shadow to feel his eyes roll to the back of his head, falling to the ground in complete darkness.

In a panic, Sonic grabbed the limp form of the other, knowing it would be a struggle to run him to the house. Yes, run him to the house. The blue hedgehog could of swore he heard footsteps and faint vocals behind him. He tore off before him with the bleeding hedgehog in his arms, his whole body bruised and in pain. Sonic rushed towards the house and knew he had to not only revive the hedgehog, but get him off the island as fast as he and his friends could.

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Now, I have other things to worry about. I'm torn on how the next chapter should start...

Wish me luck, and comment.


	16. Friends Always Forgive

Man, this has been the WORST yet BEST weekend of my LIFE!

I got alcohol poisoning, but at the same time, I'm dating someone.

This happened in the same weekend.

I don't have to go into anymore, other then that I'm happy and I was kicked out of Taco Bell for throwing up everywhere.

Anyway, my life has been kind of hectic, but I hope to post regularly still. I think I was a few days late with this, which I'm sorry. I know how it feels to be left hanging! Anyway, I don't have much else to say, other then enjoy.

**Name**: 'Chained By Love'

**Rating**: Teen/PG-13 (might go up)

**Pairings**: SonicxShadow, possible KnuxRouge

**Warning**: Male/Male relationship; don't read if you don't like it

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When Shadow regained consciousness, he felt as if a train had hit him. To sum up his feelings into one word, he used a very well known and used phrase: pain. Making sure he was slow in his action to open his eyes, his lids departed slightly to take in the light. They automatically closed as he hissed, which caused more hurt than he expected. The hedgehog put all his strength into sitting up, which was a great deal of effort. Each of his limbs and his back felt like jelly and he wasn't surprised why. He was drained of all his energy from yesterday, his body suffering from physical exhaustion.

One of the first things Shadow noticed was that it was very painful to swallow. It was so unbearable, that he knew he'd have to prevent himself as much as possible from doing so. The hedgehog leaned his body against the bed's head board, which caused him to snap his closed lids open. He wasn't in the basement he was used to, let alone on the floor. At the moment he seemed to be in a room he did not recognize. The shade of the walls was a soft and natural green, while the border was an even darker emerald. Shadow himself was resting upon a large bed with stark white sheets and a large down blanket covering his body. With no clue to where he was, he was determined to find out.

His first attempt to get up was a complete failure and it sent him straight back into the bed. With a grand sigh he was going to try again, until the door swung open before him. Shadow laid still in his spot with his eyes closed, waiting to see who it was that entered. He opened a single lid to see who it could be and saw Knuckles standing with his back to him, closing the door shut tight. Shadow let out a breath of relief and raised himself up as much as he could. The echidna turned towards him and was surprised to see him awake, crossing his arms as he spoke softly.

"I expected you'd be out for a few days; you lost a good amount of blood." violet eyes had slowly looked upon the throat of the other, reminding Shadow of the reason he was just so tired. His hand rubbed gently across his Adam's apple but had retracted quickly, the source of flesh being far too raw to be touched. Knuckles flinched himself at the sight of the stitched wound, continuing. "Tails says it will take a bit of time before you can use it properly, let alone speak." Shadow nodded slowly after hearing this, looking in perplexed thought.

There was a very thick quiet and Knuckles once again spoke, looking from the ground to the other patiently.

"You're very lucky Sonic got you here in time." he said, looking upwards for a moment. He studied the plaster ceiling and Shadow continued to watch him, silently urging the other to carry forward. The echidna slowly obliged and sighed longingly, unfolding his arms as he began to tell the story...

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"Knuckles, did you hear that?!" said the young voice of Tails, stopping his attempts to gather medical supplies.

In the distance was a load roar of an explosion, being quickly followed by another. Because of this, the earth below them shuddered. Knuckles, who barely heard the call of his friend within the house, was outside watching the cloud of smoke in the distance. He wasn't sure to be enraged, worried, or just plain afraid. The fact his island might possibly be destroyed wasn't even in his mind right now. As he stood there, the chaos emeralds he found in a pile were alive with a glow, buzzing insanely as he held them.

The red echidna knew that Sonic would probably be fine, but what about his Master Emerald? He was extremely torn on who to look for. Guessing that the hero was doing okay like he always was, he decided to take towards the Emerald's shrine. With the chaos emeralds in hand, he raced his powerful body with his breath held in anxiousness; he really hoped everything would be okay. When he got there, the Master Emerald sat in its place with no disturbance at all, shinning only once in a while when the cracks of sunlight hit it. His dreadlocks blew from the wind and smoke behind him as he let out a sigh of relief, seeing that everything remained untouched on the shrine. He leaned forward but had quickly snapped his body back up, looking down at the colored jewels in his arms.

They began to shake within his arms, as if in seconds they'd burst free. Knuckles removed his arm's grasp from the stones as they lifted into the air, watching in amazement. Even if he seemed mesmerized by the whole process, he knew exactly what was happening to the stones. If he tried, he wouldn't be able to stop it; the emeralds were going to fly off to different parts of the earth, something that seemed to happen every time they were used. It wasn't long until they were way above Knuckle's head, shooting off into a blurry distance. He watched all but one fly off into the horizon, staring at it with a raised eyebrow. It fell to his hands, gleaming bright for one moment, then dimming to no glow at all. There was a silence until the buzz of the ruby chaos emerald seized, dying down to the natures quiet. But Knuckles did not like this; it was far too silent.

He looked to where the sounds of destruction came from, unsure what to think. What could it have been? Sonic hadn't returned at all with the other hedgehog, which made Knuckle's worry. He wondered how his progress was with him. He was about to turn away, with the Chaos Emerald in his hand, until the faint footsteps he knew all too well came into the distance. Waiting one more second he got his answer, Sonic slowing down in front of him from his tremendous running speed. He was gasping for breath as he held the unconscious and bleeding Shadow in his hands, looking up at Knuckles. Seeming overly tired, his legs were shaking as he stood, actually handing over the hedgehog to the other. This left a trail of blood across Sonic, who seemed to be soaked by holding him for so long. Knuckles took him in his arms along with the emerald, staring at the other for an explanation.

"...We...need...to leave." was all that Sonic could get out, running both hands through his head quills as he tried to breath. Knuckles slowly nodded and rushed towards the house not too far away, the hero following quickly after. Shadow shook like a leaf in Knuckle's grasp, the echidna starting to be covered by his blood as well. As they ran, Knuckles looked back at Sonic in a panic.

"What the hell happened?!" he asked, looking down to Shadow and then back to Sonic. Sonic, who was having trouble speaking and running at the same time, had tried his best to respond.

"Well...his chains came off...and he just started to bleed everywhere after going Super..." he closed his eyes, shaking off the woozy feelings he was having.

"Super?! He went Super!?" he asked, in surprise and shock. Sonic shrugged at his friend and then they continued in silence, reaching the house in a few short moments. Knuckles actually kicked the door open with the black hedgehog still in his arms, Sonic rushing in first to find his intelligent friend.

"TAILS! We need you out here, NOW!" he demanded, not wanting to sound bossy but was in dire need of his help. Tails, noting the urgency in his friends voice and the door slamming, came downstairs quickly. He saw Shadow and the massive amount of blood on the both of them. Without saying a word, he went to the counter and actually swept everything onto the floor, Knuckles automatically laying the hedgehog on the spot.

"Sonic, get me the biggest towel you can find me." was all he said, opening the medical first aid kit. It was large with many supplies, Tails always having to be the doctor of the team. They wouldn't have enough time to rush the black one to the hospital and due to GUN, it wasn't a smart idea in the first place. Knuckles held him down by the shoulders slightly unwillingly, not wanting to see the whole 'surgery'. Sonic came back in a few seconds with a fluffy white towel, Tails taking it from him and pressing it on the wound of Shadow's. He looked to Sonic, actually placing his hands onto the spot his just were.

"Put as much pressure that you can, but make sure he is breathing. We're going to have to do this fast." was all he said, gathering all the supplies in silence. Sonic looked to his drained friend sadly, sighing softly.

"Don't go anywhere, Shadow..." was all he said as Tails removed the towel, his gloved hands switching on the bright light above.

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Knuckles had came closer to the bed and had actually sat down at the side, looking upon the hedgehog next to him. "We were worried you wouldn't make it. You were really, really sick. But thanks to that small Fox, you got another chance." there was a silence after that, both just taking in everything around them. But to shatter their concentrated quiet a muffled voice came from the other room and Knuckles quietly laughed. Shadow looked at him confused as the echidna smirked, looking in the direction of the door.

"You're handling it a lot better than the other hedgehog of the house..."

It was then Sonic swung the door open, the knob hitting the wall besides it. He came in with a bandage wrapped around his middle and with bruises across other parts of his body. There was also a gauze wrapped around his shoulder the best it could. He looked a bit miffed and upset, closing the door behind him with a slam. Knuckles bit his lip and looked at his hands, while Shadow stared in confusion. When the disgruntled hedgehog caught view of his chuckling friend's face his eyes narrowed, but the door opened as Tails entered the room.

"Sonic, c'mon, you're totally over-exaggerating..." said the small fox, which caused Sonic to look at him upset.

"You know, you'd yell too if you had your shoulder snapped twice in the passed day!" Sonic, who didn't seem nearly as exhausted as Shadow, still looked quite tired. Knuckles had broken out into laughter and Sonic gave him a harsh glare, which only slightly stifled the other's laughter. While he still laughed, he stood up and left the room whilst shaking his head. Tails only rolled his eyes at his best friend.

"Happy to see you're awake, Shadow!" said the small canine, taking attention off Sonic as he walked over. He came right besides Shadow and actually grabbed his chin, leaving his neck to protrude and be fully exposed. Sonic gazed at the stitch work his friend did and thought to himself, only imagining how much it hurt. He rubbed at his own shoulder when Tails released the other, raising an eyebrow. "It's amazing you haven't suffered a severe infection. I can only wonder how long that wound had been exposed to that rusted metal. I cleaned and stitched it the best I could, which seems pretty good; we'll just have to highly observe it." he nodded and then waved one more time to the two, most likely going to do something related to science.

Shadow had felt very awkward as he stared at the back of Sonic, who slowly turned to Shadow with a slight smile. "Thank god for making Tails a genius." he teased, and had sat on the end of the bed when he got no response from Shadow. With a slightly concerned tone, the hero continued on by looking around the room. "If you were wondering," he paused. "this is my second home. It's registered under another person's name so at least for a little while, we don't have to worry about GUN." he spoke this softly, observing the black hedgehog before him.

At the moment, Shadow looked like a fish out of water. He was staring at the quilt pattern before him and only answered with a slight nod. Shadow was experiencing a common symptom of guilt, regretting everything that happened yesterday. He felt extremely responsible and knew he was the reason for Sonic's ails. His fingers squeezed at the cloth surrounding him as they sat in an awkward silence, Sonic breaking it softly.

"At least we both made it out alive, huh?" he said, looking towards the single window in the room. "We have to be thankful for that. It's a wonder how we made it out with only a few cuts and bruises..." the two continued to drown in the uneasy quiet until Sonic caught enough hints to know how the other was feeling. "Shadow, you honestly don't need to worry. I understand what happened to you and you had every right to snap."

Shadow continued to watch the one before him and he slowly shook his head. How mad he was at the time, he had no right to hurt his friend. The hedgehog mustered all his strength to creep closer and actually placed a hesitant hand on the other's shoulder. Sonic did not flinch since the touch was gentle enough, but he shrugged. "It will heal. I've gotten much, much worse." he once again nodded, a weak smile forming on his face.

He continued in sadness and once again shook his head. That didn't justify anything and Shadow felt unforgiving towards himself once again. Sonic quickly tried to change the subject and his grin widened, shrugging. "Excited to get your voice back, bud?" Although he now knew Shadow's full name, he was still attached to the nickname. Shadow meekly shrugged, sending another whole load of thoughts into his mind.

The once chained hedgehog hadn't spoken for so long; decades, to be exact. He wondered if his voice would even sound the same, let alone if he could do it. Speaking had come naturally to him, would it be the same again? The fact that he was unchained still seemed so strange to him. He always told himself that they could not be taken off, as if they were the great punishment of what happened in the past. Was this a revelation? Perhaps the guilt had suddenly lifted itself. Shadow didn't know but he certainly wasn't reacting as he thought he would.

He couldn't bother to go into anymore thought on the topic as Sonic slid himself closer, until he sat right in front of Shadow. "Look, I just wanted to tell you that I understand why you blew up like you did." a peep did not sound from the black hedgehog as Sonic awaited some form of action. He decided to continue on as Shadow stared at nothing in particular, trying to find the right words to use. "We all get angry and upset and believe me, I know; when you go super, it's ten times worse..."

Shadow's ears perked and he looked at him, Sonic nodding with a smirk. "Yep, I kid you not. I have that same ability." Shadow stared at him confused and the blue hedgehog shrugged, looking down. "I don't really know why it happens. I guess it's just a gift, you can say." he looked at the hedgehog next to him. "Was that your first time ever being super?" the black hedgehog nodded and Sonic shrugged, patting at the other's shoulder gently.

"Well, that explains a lot. It was probably fighting to get out; it might be a part of your aggression as well." he paused for a moment, then continued. "All I know is, that I've been there and I can relate. So, don't feel guilty about it because I know you do." he foolishly smirked at the other as Shadow rolled his eyes. "C'mon, don't lie; you felt bad." Shadow raised an eyebrow at him and shook his head, which caused Sonic to leap off the bed softly. He placed a hand on his hip and shrugged, a small smile coming onto his face.

"That look before tells me otherwise, Shadow the hedgehog." A bit of red had leaked onto Shadow's face and Sonic laughed, calming down as he looked to the window. "You need more rest. I believe Amy is coming over as well..." Shadow's look changed from content to annoyed, and Sonic's smile widened as he stifled a laugh. "She won't come in here, no need to worry." he laughed once again and began to walk away, only to be surprised by someone pulling on him.

Sonic looked behind him and Shadow had a hold of his wrist, a serious expression in his eyes. Shifting his head to the side, Sonic watched Shadow strain for a moment until his lips quivered, obviously trying to form a word. Sonic watched his mouth and found exactly what he wanted to say. From what he believed, he read the word 'sorry', Shadow trying his best to mouth each syllable. Sonic, who was no expert at reading lips, had guessed correct as he watched Shadow's ear lower to the back of his head. The other released his wrist and Sonic only went over to him, actually placing a hug on Shadow. The black hedgehog looked around unsure how to react first, awkwardly patting the other's back. For some reason, he felt a sudden shy around the blue one, but with good feelings none the less.

"There's no need to be sorry; friends always forgive each other, no matter what." Shadow slowly nodded and a small smile actually came upon his face, Sonic sharing the same expression. Sonic soon enough left the room knowing nothing else was needed to be said, not wanting to ruin the feelings of happiness growing in the both of them.

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Well, the whole process of Shadow gaining his voice back may seem a little fast to you guys, but I hope you guys like it. This story has been kind of slow, so I don't know if it's going to be a big change or not.

Just, review/comment, tell me what you think!


	17. A Little Confused

So, in a few days, it would have been a month since I wrote.

Er...yeah, sorry about that.

Life has been busy, and I should have been writing a report for Drivers Ed instead of this, but the thought of leaving you guys hanging made me sad. Not to mention my one friend Ice said to me practically everyday, 'WHY AREN'T YOU UPDATING!?' This was to make her happy as well.

Alright, I'm shutting up. Just remember to comment and such, the usual. Enjoy!

**Name**: 'Chained By Love'

**Rating**: Teen/PG-13 (might go up)

**Pairings**: SonicxShadow, possible KnuxRouge

**Warning**: Male/Male relationship; don't read if you don't like it

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It had been a few days in the dead of night when Shadow's eyes quickly snapped open, the hedgehog rubbing at his noggin. He snorted in discomfort as his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room. A slight faint glow seeping in through the window was his only source of light. He doubted that the single rays were from the moon because they seemed far too artificial to be just that. The hedgehog had slowly rose from his spot with sleepy legs, taking a minute to catch his balance. He felt much better than he previously did, though his throat was still pretty sore. It continued to hurt for him to swallow. But that didn't stop him as he brought himself to the window, seeing a whole new array of things he had never seen before.

What he looked down upon was the bustling city of Station Square, a place Shadow could only imagine seeing before. He blinked in wonder as he watched the still populated streets, even if it was past midnight. There was a few couples here and there, large groups of 'clubbers', and various other people roaming about. It was certainly something new and very exciting for him, standing on his bare tippy-toes to get a good look of everything. There were skyscrapers that seemed to pass the clouds in the sky, cars which went whizzing down the asphalt, and dark alleys that even the hedgehog didn't want to explore. It was a mix of good and bad, but would be something Maria would certainly enjoy.

Shadow's ears lowered to the back of his head as he pushed away from the windowsill, taking a long look around 'his' empty room. Aside from the large bed pushed against the center wall, it was pretty much empty except for a chair and a single table. He was already becoming bored with the place and left it without any more thoughts, deciding to take a look around the rest of the house.

It was pretty dark but he still could get a good look of his surroundings. The hallway was painted a soft white with a light blue border, the carpet being this color as well. It was as soft as the last houses carpeting, if not smoother. Shadow's eyes found the two doors before him, which made him raise an eyebrow. Two of the house mates did not stay at this pad, for one of the doors was ajar to reveal a bathroom. Shadow decided to worry about it later in time as he made his way to the opening of the hallway, looking within the living room.

He couldn't find only one word to describe it; it was messy, but neat. It was was plain but sophisticated. The room seemed to be decorated with nice pieces of furniture, slightly mismatched, but seemingly pricey none the less. The entertainment system was even more extravagant than the last houses, this one seeming to have much more than a flat-screen television. There seemed to be a few game systems, a technological DVD/VCR player, and a large stereo system. There were also more CDs on the racks than Shadow could count.

He continued to look around and settled himself upon the comfy brown couch, sighing as he closed his eyes. Even if he hadn't eaten for days, he just didn't have the appetite to eat. Shadow just wanted to sit in the silence, trying to contemplate just what to do. The hedgehog, now freed of his chains and most of the threatening memories, was facing a difficult decision: was it time to go his own way?

Shadow really did feel guilty for pretty much taking up the three's hospitality, not really sure if it was right. He didn't want to be using anyone, let alone his friends. The more he kept thinking, the more he couldn't even believe he could call them friends. He knew one thing for sure; the three were the closest things to a comrade he had right now. Was Shadow being a 'friend' by keeping them in danger? Although yes, hopefully GUN would have some trouble finding him, but he really was putting his friends in trouble. Him staying near any of them could get one of them harmed. He already hurt Sonic, he didn't want anything much worse to happen.

He was really being faced with a decision he wished he didn't have to make. Shadow rose from his spot as he once more looked out the window, his eyes instantly falling onto the celestials. His eyesight shifted from the stars to downwards, his hands holding one another. A part of him wanted to run away forever, another part wanted him to stay. The thought of his freedom tasted so good, but the idea of leaving people who cared for him just felt plain wrong. But putting them in jeopardy made him feel worse. So, Shadow came up with his final decision.

Shadow had to leave first thing next morning.

The thought of having to say good bye was far too much; but he knew he'd have to do it. First thing tomorrow, he'd have to say something. He didn't think he could handle the heartbreak, even if it was for the best of interest. Shadow took one more sigh before he left the window, making his way down the hallway. Without little thought he opened the closest door, shutting it softly behind him.

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The darkness in here was worse than before, which made Shadow raise an eyebrow. He nearly stubbed his toe on an array of objects, which made him even more suspicious. And were the shades drawn before? Shadow didn't really even care to think of it more since he knew he needed his rest, taking the closest spot on the bed he could find. Shadow laid on his stomach in the extreme warmth of the sheets and sighed softly, nudging his face into the source of heat. He closed his eyes and curled closer, his face nuzzling into something surprising to the touch.

He froze for a moment, his eyes opening quickly. His hand slowly brought itself to the soft and fuzzy ball of warmness, rubbing it's way down gently. The texture was the smallest of pricks, but at the same time they remained as soft as possible. Shadow recognized them as quills immediately and his body went cold. He was in the bed of the sleeping Sonic, who was reacting to his hand's movements.

Sonic arched his back into Shadow's hand on his hip and let out a content sigh, taking the other hedgehog by surprise. He rolled over and wrapped his arms around Shadow, in an internal instinct to cuddle the other. Shadow hissed silently as he lay frozen, knowing the last thing he wanted to do was wake him up. He awaited for the other hedgehog to finally settle, even letting him wrap his arms around his waist. Sonic had fully taken advantage of the other and nuzzled his face into the crook of his neck, letting out a small murmur of sleep. He just missed the painful cut upon his throat, Shadow relieved he didn't hit into it.

Shadow really didn't know how to get himself out of this situation, so he thought carefully. Any real sudden movements could awake the other. He took a deep breath and hoped his plan would work, very slowly uncurling from his position. He found himself looking straight into the face of the other and had paused in his actions, just watching him for a moment. Shadow stared at him and had actually found himself brushing a loose strand from the other's face. When he realized this he automatically snatched his own hand away. He couldn't help it, though; everything about Sonic looked right. The one time Shadow really got to see him completely quiet and serene was the moment that he couldn't get his eyes off him.

At this point, he didn't even mind that Sonic was snuggling him closer, far too entranced by the other. He could only imagine those glowing emerald eyes staring holes within his soul, even when his lids were tightly shut. He looked so angelic and at peace, and Shadow knew he couldn't leave. The thought of having to see Sonic devastated killed him and he knew the blue hedgehog would be. Sonic, even if he was cocky and foolish at times, really did have a big heart. Shadow finally had awoken from his trance when the two met at the forehead, and he knew he had to get up. The hedgehog slowly pulled off the hands of the other with little force and had made his way slowly upright, still afraid of waking the other.

Although it was difficult, in the black of the night he could still see the blue hedgehog. He watched his arms go limp to the mattress and then a troubled face appear on his muzzle, until he slowly just wrapped his arms around himself as he curled in a defensive ball. It was an instinctual move of a hedgehog that made Shadow smile, who found himself watching him longer than he expected. He made himself leave the room in silence as he shut the door behind him, departing for sleep in his own room.

Shadow settled within the blankets of his bed, which seemed much less comfortable than the sheets he just resided in. He snuggled into the comforter and hesitated for a moment, knowing his face was a bit warm. He ignored it though, far too tired to concern about rest than the blush on his face.

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Shadow awoke once again in the late morning, stretching his back groggily as he rubbed at his eyes. He slowly rose from his bed and after a quick stop to groom himself and then entered into the kitchen. The sleepiness was still evident in his face as he sat at the wooden kitchen table, his shoulders hunching over as he crossed his arms on the surface. His face rested in the space that his arms made as he sighed, his ears perking at the footsteps of another.

His eyes wondered upon a yawning Sonic the hedgehog, who rubbed at his side lazily. The blue one smiled at Shadow who looked much less hyped than the other, humming as he sat across from him. "Morning, bud! Sleep alright?" Shadow gave him a look which made the other laugh slightly, Sonic rising from his spot. Shadow just then noticed that he no longer had bandages on him, Sonic giving an explanation as if he could read the other's thoughts.

"I took them off, they were getting itchy..." he raised his arms to reveal his side completely, showing a rather nasty bruise. Shadow bit his lip at the sight and Sonic shrugged, going towards the fridge. "Believe me, I've had much worse. That's the job of a hero, eh?" he leaned forward as he opened the fridge and shifted things about, trying to find something to make. Shadow watched him for a moment and forced his eyes down, feeling far too awkward staring at him in such a position.

Sonic had brought out a carton of eggs and smirked a bit, his eyebrows rising. "Wait to have one of the best meals your life." Shadow's ears perked as he raised an eyebrow, watching the hedgehog prepare the meal in front of him. The whole time Shadow could once again not get his eyes off him. He honestly didn't understand it as he stared at him for a few moments, finally tearing his gaze away. Running his fingers through his quills, he mumbled softly so it wouldn't harm his throat.

'_Something has to be wrong with me..._' he thought, not able to understand what was going on with him.

It didn't take long for the blue hedgehog to whip up two eggs for himself and the troubled hedgehog behind him, looking upon him with an oblivious smile. "It takes a good eater to be a good cook." he said, taking the plate of eggs and pushing it in front of Shadow. The black hedgehog had forgot his previous thoughts as he quietly dug in, not looking up as the hedgehog took his seat with his own food.

As the blue hedgehog began to dig into his plate, he snorted with a bit of laughter. "It's funny," he said, continuing as he set his fork down. "I don't know why, but I slept amazing last night." A smile came onto his face even if Shadow's own expression dropped quickly, his eyes widening as he watched the other before him. His ears folded back and he looked away, a small patch of red appearing on his face. Sonic, still regardless to the other hedgehog's mixed emotions, had finished with a jump. This startled the other hedgehog who froze in his eating, being taken by surprise when Sonic zipped past him.

"I forgot!" he called, coming back with his shoes buckled to his feet. Shadow continued to look at him confused and then raised an eyebrow at him. He was caught off guard when he felt his shoes gently hit his stomach, his hands catching them in a natural reaction. "We have to go see Tails, he has an apartment here. A small one when he's away from Mystic Ruins; he needs somewhere to invent stuff." said Sonic, making a gesture with his hand. It was obvious the hedgehog didn't really share his intelligence or the excitement his best friend did for some of the things he created.

Shadow had to quickly put his shoes on for Sonic already grabbed his hand, which caused Shadow's heart to jump. Sonic didn't seem once again to notice as he rushed the two out the door, not even thinking it would be Shadow's first real time in the modern world.

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Sonic took Shadow winding through the streets, the black hedgehog trying to adjust to the movement and feel of the city. People were pushing and walking straight into him, as if the black hedgehog before them was invisible. He was also becoming distracted by the jammed roads and the many array of stands around him, just feeling so congested in a single spot. Shadow could honestly not believe just how this place was able to function.

The blue hero, who was dragging him along the sidewalk, seemed unfazed and used to such an environment. He appeared to be able to keep up with the condensed surroundings and people. The stands beside them did not seem like anything special nor did the people, though a few seemed to easily recognize him. Shadow slowly and slowly was beginning to see the blue one's popularity, noticing the wide amount of faces trying to approach the two. Sonic would either smile and wave for a moment, but made sure that the two of them could quickly be on their way. He'd keep Shadow still by a tight grasp as he fumbled behind him, his hand being tightly around the other.

Shadow was beginning to get the feel of the beat but was still just so fascinated. He always had been so excited for the moment that he could of been in such a place, and here it is. Well, for one thing, he could live without the amazing amount of people. He was noticing that in front of all these others, he felt strongly uncomfortable. Also, the fact they were rudely crashing into him kind of bothered him as well. It was a nice place to look at, but certainly not to get lost in. Shadow felt like the two were going in circles, though he was confident Sonic knew where he was going. This place seemed like a concrete maze, one where the buildings seemed to go into the sky forever.

Sonic had looked back to the other hedgehog with a bit of smile, happy to see he could mostly keep up. "The city is like no other place, bud. You'll get used to it; it was the same way for me the first time I visited it as well." said Sonic, the monster of a place being nothing out of the ordinary by now. Sonic, who came from the forest to the bustling city, knew what it was like when switching such drastic environments. He knew how it felt, but he imagined everything to Shadow was much more vibrant and exciting. Whenever a car would go speeding by, the black hedgehog seemed to jump and watch it pass. Sonic kept having to pull on his hand to get him going. It also seemed Shadow was much more uncomfortable with the large groups of people, seeming to stick very close to the other hedgehog.

That was true, Shadow made sure he stayed by the side of the other as much as he could. From time to time, he'd have to trail behind him, but he'd mostly insist on being besides him. They were soon coming to a less densely populated part of the city, their speed being a very big advantage to getting where they needed to be. The traffic of the sidewalk seemed to drop, perhaps because of rush hour fading or because of the location. Whatever the reason, Shadow certainly preferred this. It was at this time Shadow noticed the other still had a grasp of his wrist, his eyes wondering to Sonic's hand. His ears folded back as he took a small breath until Sonic had unexpectedly released his wrist. The blue hedgehog looked back at his friend and it turned from content to concerned fast, raising an eyebrow.

"You alright...?" he asked curiously, Shadow nodding his head quickly. Sonic shrugged it off and then smiled, looking at the small apartment building before them. "Well, at least we're here. C'mon, Tails wants to check out that wound of yours." he said, walking slowly to the set of stairs. Shadow followed in pursuit and sighed, happy he fixed himself from being caught; that was too close of a call. Even though he really didn't know what was going on, he knew it would of been awkward.

It was strange and Shadow couldn't put his finger on it; he was feeling much more...complicated around the other since that day. At first, it was guilt. Now it was obviously something much different. It was a strange, new, and gawky. At this point, he simply shrugged it off and tried his best not to think or look at the other, which was difficult as he walked in front of him. The blue hedgehog seemed quite the opposite from the oddly nervous black one, seeming glad as he hummed a light tune in his throat. Shadow rolled his eyes at this while he shook his head, though a small smile formed onto his face.

Already well inside the apartment building, Sonic had only taken them to the second floor. It was one of the first doors at the end of the hallway which the fox's best friend knew very well, going over and knocking on it gently. "Boy genius!" he teased, a small smile coming onto his face.

Shadow could easily tell that they had a special relationship between the two, knowing they were good friends. He'd observe them from afar when they'd playfully tease and fool around with each other, always hearing a sound of laughter in their direction. Knuckles seemed much more reserved and secluded from his two friends, even if he got along with them. Shadow was just thinking of where the red echidna could be until the door swung open, the blue eyed canine smiling back at the other two.

"Hey! I was awaiting for you guys to get here." he said kindly, leading them inside. Sonic entered first nonchalantly, speaking to his best friend loosely.

"Yeah, traffic was pretty busy today. Shadow got to see a lot, though." they looked back at the other hedgehog who entered the house, looking around quietly. Scattered everywhere were mechanic parts, seemingly tiny inventions, and tons upon tons of paper work. He watched his step as he came towards the other two and waved very faintly to Tails, still looking around the place they resided in. Tails rubbed at the back of his head, a weak smile coming onto his face.

"Excuse the mess; I haven't gotten around to...cleaning up." he shrugged and then began to lead them to a back room, trying to clear things out of their way as they walked. "I predicted you'd take the bandages off much faster, Sonic. Is this a record? Three days?" he teased as he looked back at the other, raising an eyebrow. He knew Sonic very well and knew even more he had a tendency of being difficult; he had such a problem with following medical orders.

Sonic laughed and shrugged, giving a playful sigh. "You know me; always setting higher and higher goals." he looked back at Shadow with a smirk and then sat in the slightly cleaner room's couch, stretching his legs out.

Shadow sat on the other side of the couch silently and watched the small fox move about the room, turning off the screen of the computer monitor as he sat in the swivel chair. The whole place really reminded him of a doctors office, minus the old magazines and other stereo-typical confines of a practice. Tails took out a bunch of paper work and read it over for a moment, Sonic giving him a look.

"Give it to me straight, doc; will I make it till next Christmas?." he said, in the most dramatic voice he could act. His arm laid over his eyes as he laid limp in his position, adding the final touch by drooping his tongue from his mouth. Tails gave him a look of, 'you're ridiculous' and rolled his chair towards Shadow. It almost made him smile watching the 10 year old fox do so, unable to believe just how intelligent he was.

"Well, judging by research, you are quite the healer..." he said, lifting the other's chin. Shadow, who was far too uncomfortable with such procedures, felt very nervous in such a position. It reminded him of older times back in the GUN facilities, where test were held out on him constantly. But he knew he could trust Tails and he bit his lip, trying to make himself feel a bit more comfortable as he sat up straight. Tails examined it closely as he narrowed his eyes at the spot, then finally giving an impressed nod.

"Well, it seems you had slight bleeding most likely when you were asleep. Nothing at all serious, though; it's normal with such a wound. But your healing is amazing! Such a gash would take more than a week to heal with stitches, while it only took you a few _days_." he said, adding emphasis to the last word. Tails was the one person to get highly excited over such a thing, as Sonic just continued to watch the two quietly. Shadow gave a shrug and ran his fingers gently over the spot, flinching a bit at the feeling. "That's normal, it's going to be sore for a bit. But I think you're ready to get your stitches removed." he said, which Shadow only blinked.

Sonic jumped at the words 'remove' and 'stitches', bringing himself closer to the other hedgehog as he examined the wound himself. "Oh, this is going to be cool." Tails laughed lightly at this as he removed the proper scissors to cut through them, the metallic glint catching Shadow's eye. He wasn't going to lie; it seemed so painful to him. His brows furrowed as he inched his back way into the cushion, which Sonic instantly noticed. "Don't worry, I promise; it won't hurt. I've had a ton of stitches removed..." he said, waving his hand lazily to show it was nothing.

Tails nodded in agreement, giving his best friend a smile. "Yeah, but Sonic would yell like bloody murder at each clip; it's great." this made Shadow feel a bit better but Sonic irritated, giving a frown.

"That's a damn well lie..." he said, but his eyes suddenly got shifty as he made sure they dropped the subject.

The fox shook his head and brought himself close to Shadow, taking the scissors and placing it under the first loop of the thread. Shadow tried his best not to flinch as he looked upwards, trying not to take a breath. The throat, a very vital organ, would certainly not be a good place to be stabbed. But in seconds it was cut, the hedgehog blinking. Soon Tails continued to slice each loop until he was finished, giving a bit of a sigh.

"Alright, for the difficult part. If anything, you might feel a sting, but nothing more than that." Tails had taken a hold of the clamps once again and Shadow surely felt nervous this time. He closed his eyes as he felt the other remove the stitches completely, flinching a bit but nothing more. Sonic hissed and bit his lip, giving a face towards the black one.

"That didn't seem too bad; at least it's over, right?" Shadow nodded and swallowed gently, once again his throat sore. Tails cleaned the area and shrugged, a small smile on his face.

"Yeah, it's nothing worse than that. Now it's just the waiting game." he once again took the set of papers he looked at before and scribbled down some notes, Sonic leaning over to take a look at them.

"You're taking notes?" he said, Tails giving a shrug.

"I find it wise to report things." Sonic watched him for a moment and then shrugged to himself, getting comfortable in his spot again. "Well Shadow, judging on your healing rate, you may be speaking faster than I predicted. I originally thought a month, but it could be faster. It all depends on your body and you," he placed down the clipboard of notes and stood from his seat, giving him a slight look. "It may take a bit for you to get into the habit of using words, but no real therapy will be used. Your mind seems to be in the right place, it's just making sure your throat works properly. Making sure it can still develop sound is important but from what I noticed, it really shouldn't be a problem." he shrugged once again, looking at the healing wound. "I looked at it the best I could and it didn't seem too mangled; it just needed to be healed, which seemed to have worked for you. You're lucky it was able to be salvaged." he said with a nod.

Sonic nodded and placed a hand on Shadow's shoulder, which caused the black one to perk his ears. "Yeah; the anticipation of hearing your voice is getting stronger. First it was your name, now your voice. It's moving along." he said, standing up and looking at Tails. Shadow bit his lip after this, watching the two converse. Sonic had placed a hand on his hip, raising an eyebrow. "How's Knucklehead?" he asked, a small smile coming onto his face from the nickname.

Tails shrugged, looking thoughtful. "He managed to get them all off the island; they seemed to have given up looking for Shadow there. He says the damage of the land will be reparable in time, nothing too serious. GUN managed to clean up most of the base and...remains that were left behind from that whole situation." Tails was trying to find the right words to say in front of Shadow, knowing it was an extremely sensitive subject. There was a sound of silence as Shadow stared upon the ground, the both of them taking it as a sign to try to end the conversation.

"Well, that's good. He returning soon?" asked Sonic, still watching the black one from the corner of his eye.

Tails nodded, walking towards the door. "Seems so, from what he said. He's probably going to stay here, since I have an extra room. He's going to flip at the mess..." he mumbled, knowing he'd have a full day to clean everything up. Sonic laughed a bit as he walked from the room, a smile on his face.

"You have fun, Tails. Call us if you need us!" he said quickly, rushing out the door. The thought of cleaning up to Sonic was the last thing he wanted to hear. Tails shook his head and smiled at Shadow, holding the door open for him.

"Typical Sonic, typical Sonic..." Shadow smiled a bit at this as he waved to the fox as well, catching up with his counterpart easily.

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Sonic laughed slightly as the other hedgehog joined his side, giving a shrug. "That's the last thing I need; having to clean and having to hear Knuckles rant at everyone..." he teased, slowing down his pace with the other. It was now much calmer outside than before with only minimal amounts of activity along the streets, giving Shadow more time to explore. Sonic would look on with him and at times explain just what everything was, telling him about cars to federal mail boxes.

"...and then you just open the slot and stick the envelope in." he said, patting the blue contraption gently. Shadow nodded and blinked, actually opening it to look in. When he saw nothing he let it go with a shrug, a small smile coming onto his face when Sonic laughed.

"Man, everything must be amazingly new to you," said the blue hedgehog as they continued walking. "Coming from space to here? That's a big change, I must say." bright emerald eyes caught crimson as Shadow nodded, knowing this was true. "You'll get the hang of things, it's not too hard. I'll help you along the way." as he looked away Shadow's smile got a bit larger, turning from a faint one to a large smirk.

It was then he got a playful streak in him, deciding to nudge the blue one's arm. Sonic looked at him with a raised eyebrow and Shadow thought of the best way to show his words. He pointed forward with a small smile and Sonic, still confused, shrugged at him. Shadow gave him a frustrated face and then thought for a moment, suddenly dropping to the ground unexpectedly. He got in a racing position and gave Sonic a look, which the blue hedgehog had to smirk at.

"You want to race right down here, back to the house?" Shadow shrugged and then nodded, soon finding Sonic joining him by his side. "Alright, that sounds great to me." he said with a smile.

They stared each other down for a moment, their brows lowered in a competitive stance. Shadow had little to no expression on his mouth as Sonic had a large and curling smile, awaiting for the right moment to take off. There was a dead quiet when they both tore off at the same time, the sidewalk almost seeming to clear for them as soon as they thought of the idea. They remained close to each other as they did not want to interfere or hit into anything besides them, but made sure they couldn't smack into each other either. There were moments one would have to shift and even run into the side of the street for a bit when a large group of people were in their way. They'd keep a close watch on each other and once in a while would exchange a small smile.

They both knew they were going to come to a stop in a few moments, Shadow shifting his eyesight from in front of him to besides him. He looked upon Sonic with a grin who returned it back at him, their eyes catching each others for a moment. Far too distracted by the hedgehog besides them, their pace was beginning to slow, just so caught about looking into the other's eyes. But as they came to a full stop Sonic was suddenly tackled to the ground by a pink whirl, Shadow hearing the last voice he wanted to hear break the sound barrier.

"SONIKKU!" she screamed, wrapping her arms around the blue one as they lay upon the cement. Sonic, too knocked out by the shock of what just happened, had just mumbled to himself. He sat up with Amy still attached to him as he rubbed at the back of his head, looking at her.

"Amy, what was that for?" he asked as a small frown formed on his face. Amy gave a small shrug as she kissed his cheek, placing her head under his chin.

"I just was so happy to see you, we haven't talked in so long..." she complained, her voice extremely whiny.

Shadow watched this and had gotten an interesting emotion within him. Not only interesting, but a terrible feeling. One, that unlike before, he did not exactly enjoy. His eyes were half-lidded as he watched her practically fondle the blue hero, unable to think of anything other than his strong dislike for her. He didn't like her before, but now he simply despised her.

Sonic had stood and Amy let go of him, landing in front of the two. The pink female turned towards the other hedgehog with a smile, her eyes glinting. "Oh, your name was Shadow the whole time?!" she asked, and Shadow didn't even give her a gesture. After crossing his arms, he just kind of looked at Sonic who gave him a weak shrug behind her.

"Yeah, that's his name." answered Sonic, who quickly changed the subject. He walked towards the house a bit, rubbing at the space between his brows. "What do you want, Ams? I don't feel like standing out here..." he said, giving her a lazy look.

Amy shrugged and took the blue hedgehog's elbow, standing on the tip of her toes. "I just want to spend time with you. _Please_?" she asked, trying to give him a puppy-eyed look. Sonic sighed and then grumbled to himself, shrugging. Shadow knew that the blue hedgehog really didn't want to deal with her.

"Fine Amy, sounds good." he said, giving her one more look until he turned to Shadow. He threw him the key with a bit of a smile, starting to walk away with the pink hedgehog. "Let yourself in, okay? I'll be back later tonight!"

It didn't take long for the two to blend away into a crowd, leaving Shadow to stand there by himself. The people winded around him as he continued to stare at the spot where they disappeared, sighing. He walked towards the steps of the apartment and gave an even angrier scowl, thinking that the pink one was much more than an annoyance...

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Yeah, my editor said he felt bad for Shadow in this chapter. Aww.

Rate and Review, maybe it will make me update faster than last time. -wink-


	18. It's About Time

Alright, I know, I know...

IT TOOK ME FOREVER!

...at least in my eyes. Life has been extremely hectic lately, I can't even tell you. I really do apologize and I promise as soon as I get myself back on track, I'll be updating hopefully weekly again. I hate to keep everyone waiting, since I know what it feels like to be in that place. Once again, I give out a big sorry to everyone.

This chapter I'm hoping you like, I'm so-so on it; much like the last chapter. I'm not unhappy about it but I don't know if it's my best work. -Shrugs- You guys decide, make sure you comment. Maybe I'll update faster. -wink-

Anyway, have a blast reading.

**Name**: 'Chained By Love'

**Rating**: Teen/PG-13 (might go up)

**Pairings**: SonicxShadow, possible KnuxRouge

**Warning**: Male/Male relationship; don't read if you don't like it

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Sonic had returned later that night with Amy, which of course set Shadow in a worse mood. But he had accomplished a lot in those single hours by himself, trying to figure out the 'grandeurs' of technology. Shadow had finally figured out the computer, the television, the oven (he didn't even burn the house down!), the dish washer, and other various contraptions in the house. Sitting on the couch by himself, he flipped through the channels as he heard them walk in, knowing her pestering voice from anywhere.

"Oh Sonikku, today was amazing!" she cried, a grin on her young face. Sonic, who seemed to be carrying an array of shopping bags, had shrugged as he placed them on the floor. He began to walk away from her, looking back at her with a bit of annoyance.

"I guess, if you call being your bag holder _good_..." he mumbled the last few words, not wanting to deal with a screeching female. Shadow looked towards them and Sonic smiled back, jumping over the couch and landing in the next seat. "Hey bud!" he smiled and paid no more attention to Amy, which certainly irritated her. Jade eyes glinted as they laid upon the black and blue hedgehogs, walking over to them with her arms crossed.

"Have anything to say, Sonic...?" she asked, waiting for him to say good-bye to her.

"Oh yeah! Just lock the door behind you, we'll be in for the night." he looked back to her for one more moment until he focused his attention back onto the television. Shadow looked back at her and tried to hide a satisfied smirk, knowing he had his own little revenge from her stealing the other away. If Shadow wasn't caught in the moment of basking in his triumph, he would of been weirded out by the fact he was acting like Sonic was property. Amy just raised a cold eyebrow before rushing herself and her bags out, slamming the door behind her.

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After that little incident, Amy made sure that she spent every living moment with her beloved 'Sonikku'. For the past two weeks, the two hedgehogs would hear her horribly loud knocking at the apartment door daily. Shadow simply tried to sleep through it or ignore it. Sonic, even if he was already up, was easily heard sighing angrily as he put a face on for her. The striped hedgehog simply wanted to drown himself whenever she'd rush into his room, in attempt to include him in their escapades. Usually pretending to sleep worked, but once she managed to get him up.

It was that day he found himself walking with the two of them, down the city's sidewalk in silence. Amy was the only one speaking as she held a map in her hand, looking back at the males on occasion.

"Alright, Twinkle Park is having a special today; everyone can come in half-off!" she cried, being her usual perky self.

Shadow rolled his eyes at this and Sonic had just shrugged, the both of them trying to ignore her. Now that Sonic knew Shadow really disliked Amy, he tried to interact as little as possible with her in front of him. One thing was true; he was getting extraordinarily sick of her. Not only did he know the black hedgehog was probably questioning him, but he was questioning himself on why he let her stick around. He wasn't sure when just yet but he knew it wouldn't last too long, giving her a bit of a hopeless look as she started to speak again.

"Sonic has to go on every ride with me, riiight?" she asked with a smile, looking back at the blue hedgehog. The hero just gave a strained smile and a nod, the female then looking to Shadow. "You can come too, Shadow. If you don't mind me and Sonic being together the whole time, that is." she said, turning away with a nod of her head. Shadow just bit gritted his teeth and imagined the ways he could kill her, trying to fill his hunger for wanting her out of his life.

It wasn't too long until the three had arrived at the park, Amy taking Sonic's arm without hesitation. She automatically dragged him off and left Shadow in the dust, the black hedgehog now having to fend for himself. He blinked as he just decided to continue through the busy crowds without bother, just curious of everything around him. He looked upon the large amusement rides with a raised eyebrow, unsure if he'd ever go on such a contraption. He saw the speed and then got slightly excited, not expecting the blue hedgehog to suddenly pop next to him.

"Looks good, eh? It's really, really fast. We could beat it no problem, though." he said with a bit of smile, and Shadow noticed that Amy wasn't anywhere near him. Sonic, who was gaining the ability of knowing what Shadow was thinking, shrugged. "Honestly? I ditched her at the bathrooms..." Shadow had cracked up slightly, causing the other to go wide eye. Although it was little and raspy, his laughter was still audible.

"Did you just laugh a little...!? It sounded like one!" he said in an excited voice. Shadow didn't even realize he did and had slowly nodded, in surprise himself. "You know what that means! Not too much longer until you can actually speak." he said with a larger smile, grabbing his arm. "C'mon, let's find something to do!" Sonic decided to bring him happily to the first array of game stands, trying to once again explain how things worked.

Sonic showed him games from the ring toss to winning your own goldfish, and at the end of each sentence he'd add the same phrase:

"But remember, most of the time they scam you. Yet it's just so much fun and the thought of winning is such a thrill, people do it anyway. Including me." he said, playing every game he explained. Unsurprisingly, he won most of them. By the end of the whole 'learning session', Sonic was holding three balloons, two bags of live goldfish, three stuffed bears, and one of those funny looking antenna headbands. It was just becoming too much to handle so instead of keeping it himself, he'd actually go up to others and hand his winnings over to them instead. Shadow watched from a distance and shook his head when crossing his arms, unable to believe the kindness of the hedgehog.

Sonic was very special in the sense he never failed to see the good in people. Yes, he was cocky, arrogant, and not to mention oblivious at times, but he never failed to try and make someone else's day brighter. He was just such a good guy all around. Shadow wondered how in the hell he got along with such a person, feeling that he was pretty much the complete opposite. The hero was bubbly, talkative, and an all around hero; Shadow was not. It amazed him that they got along like they did, with little to no arguing.

He'd never admit it to his face, but Shadow sort of looked up to Sonic. Not only that, but he just loved being around him. He would have no problem spending every waking moment with him. As he thought this, he knew someone was in his way, someone in this very park. The thought of Amy had sent his good thoughts away as Sonic approached, the blue hedgehog giving a shrug as he stood in front of the other.

"Any ideas on what to do now, bud?" he asked, looking around in curiosity. Shadow, who really was just worried about the likes of Amy, took Sonic's hand and pulled him the direction of the exit. Sonic raised an eyebrow and shrugged, stopping right before the gate. "You want to leave?" he asked, frowning slightly as he tried to decide what to do.

You see, if Amy was to find this out, things would be...

Not good.

So of course Sonic was stuck in a rut. He definitely would rather spend his time with Shadow, but he knew ditching the female would get him a screaming. As soon as she found him, which she **ALWAYS** did, she'd tear him a new ear. The blue hedgehog sighed at the thought; why did he put up with her? He didn't even feel attraction to her at this point, he just found her as an irritation. Because of that he felt slightly bad, knowing she was simply holding onto her own game. But before he could even think more into the topic Shadow had once again pulled at his hand.

After looking at the pleading crimson eyes of the other, Sonic easily caved. It was a risk that he felt was worth taking, not that all risks weren't. Unsurprisingly, Sonic was a huge risk-taker and hanging out with his good friend was much more worth it than Amy. It wasn't long until they both raced off into the distance, leaving little to no trail behind them.

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They made sure they were a great distance from the park itself before they slowed to an easy stop. Because of the fair, little people were in the downtown of the city today. There was only a few here and there making their way down the street, unsurprisingly going to the carnival as well. Shadow looked around and then back at Sonic, letting him lead the way. The blue hedgehog suggested he had an idea and the black hedgehog rolled with it. The city was still completely new since he never really took the time to explore and memorize.

Sonic had taken a deep breath, the air fresh and crisp. It was very early fall, not cool enough to need a jacket but on the verge. Both were thankful for their warm quills as they continued down the sidewalk, Sonic breaking the silence between them.

"You've never been out to a restaurant before." he said, which caused Shadow's ears to perk. The black hedgehog knew that you'd eat there and indeed never been to one. They obviously did not have them on the ARK or when he was locked away. He was slightly excited as Sonic smiled, him too anticipating a good meal.

"This is a specific restaurant, one we call a Diner. It's just a small place with a booth and it's almost like a home cooked meal." the thought of food made Sonic bonkers, always having a good appetite. Shadow too liked the idea of eating so he followed the other closely. It felt nice to walk at his good friend's side and at this point, wouldn't wish for too much else. He enjoyed the little people out today, the fact Amy wasn't bothering the both of them, and how everything felt just right. He looked to the cloudy sky and then back to Sonic, who had nudged him to get his attention.

"Alright, we're here!" he stood in front of the glass door of the small eatery, a large grin on his face. It had a red awning with the word 'DINER' in white lettering printed on it. There was a large window pane for a front, so you could see the inside from the outside. It was so small it only had a few booths, most of the place consisting of a large wrap-around counter. It was red and white like the awning above them, and every item appeared to be in that color scheme.

Sonic had opened the door and wiped his feet of any leaves that might of stuck, Shadow doing the same as he watched. There were many gestures he still had trouble understanding, but this one seemed easy; the intentions were simply not to get the floor dirty. Although it was taking time, Shadow was beginning to catch the bustle of the present day. On his free time, when Sonic was either off somewhere with Amy or doing his daily rounds in the city, he'd simply gaze out the window at the population below. He picked up on their acts, such as how people treated one another. He saw kissing to fighting, to how people were speaking and the way they dressed. It seemed a lot different from what he was used to, though he was accustomed to being surrounded by so many people. Upon the ARK, he was the only anthropomorphic animal on the ship.

Leading him to the smallest booth, Sonic had sat down with a content sigh. He was happy to just relax and get a good meal, being one of the first times away from Amy. She was really demanding as of lately, constantly wanting to be around him. It was far too much pink for him to handle. At least now he could relax with Shadow, who sat down right after him and looked distant. He raised an eyebrow at the thoughtful and quizzical Shadow, placing his hands upon the table.

"So, what do you want?" he handed him a menu, which Shadow read curiously. There were so many things he hadn't tried before, so he simply shrugged. He really didn't know what to get. Sonic raised both brows as he was concerned, studying the menu himself. "I know what I want already, but you don't. What do you like?" he asked, though Shadow gave him a look; how was he supposed to answer that? Sonic smiled weakly as he remembered, shrugging.

"Sorry, it's a habit. How about this; you want to get what I'm getting?" Shadow nodded, finding that a good idea. It was then that the waitress decided to come to the table, preoccupied by the pad she looked to scribble upon. She had long, brown curly hair and a set of bangs which covered only one tired eye. Without looking up, she began to speak nonchalantly.

"Welcome, sirs. What would you like today?" she asked, finally shifting her eyesight up. Her eyes lit up at the blue hedgehog before her and she smiled, looking slightly giddy at the sight of the hero. "Oh! Mr. Hedgehog, I didn't know it was you. Do you want the usual?" she batted her long lashes at him and appeared sheepish, Sonic flashing his trademark smile at her.

"Not a problem, not a problem at all. I'd like two of those, actually. Take your time." he said as his eyes traveled over her. She nodded with a small tint of red on her face, walking away as she took the menus from the both of them. Sonic waited until she was in the back till he spoke, shrugging. "Seems like a nice girl, eh? She is always working when I come here." he shrugged, looking at his hands for a moment. "I think she dug you, Shadow." he teased, which got a snort from the one across his seat. He laughed, arching his back into a stretch as they sat in silence.

As Sonic did this, Shadow's gaze wondered upon him, staying glued there for a moment. The blue hedgehog was taking his time as he bent his back and Shadow took advantage. Scarlet eyes subtly went over the parts of him he could seem and Shadow's face looked a lot like the girls. Although not as prominent, his cheeks were struck red at the sight of the hedgehog. He didn't know why, but he was curious. As he sat there slightly confused, another thought popped into the hedgehog's mind.

'_Sonic is quite good looking_...'

How weird it sounded, yes, this is what ran through his mind. Shadow was beginning to see why girls felt flustered around the hedgehog, and it wasn't for the fame. He even had to say that Amy had great taste and was lucky. Oh, what Shadow would do for a pie-

'_What the HELL am I thinking!?_' was all that was ringing in the hedgehog's head, the blush on his tan cheeks only getting deeper. He placed his face in his hands and ran his fingers over his ears, trying to shake the thoughts of the other out. Sonic took notice to this as he returned to sitting straight, raising an eyebrow.

"You alright there, bud? If it's like, hot in here or something we can step outside." Shadow, who just placed his hands over his eyes, removed them and shook his head. It took a lot of composure to look back at the other and not break his calm expression, looking down at his fingers to feel better. He shook his head meekly and Sonic studied him as he did this. He looked content himself until he leaned across the table, his fingers actually grabbing at the white fur on Shadow's chest. This instantly caused the reaction of the nervous one to grab the other's arm, giving him a look. The faint red had once again pressed against his face and Sonic laughed, taking back his hand as he raised them in peace.

"I was just curious since it's a random portion of your fur. But it's nice; quite soft." he said, which made Shadow slightly irritated. Hearing compliments such as that did not help his embarrassment or current thoughts. He was thankful when the young lady had placed their plates in front of them with a smirk, looking much more confident than before.

"Here you two go, tell me if you need anything!" she said with a large smile, which caused Sonic to return the facial expression.

"We'll probably be fine, thanks again...you're always so helpful." he said, placing his chin upon his hand. She blushed and nodded, going back to her nervous and bashful state. She then walked away with a small wave, Sonic chuckling before he dug into his food. Shadow looked upon his plate as well and raised an eyebrow, wondering just what he ordered.

Upon his platter was a hot dog covered in what appeared to be chili and cheese; it was practically drowned by both toppings and Shadow could feel heat radiate from it. There was also a side of fries and what appeared to be Coca-Cola. Sonic was biting into his hungrily and was milking it for all it's worth, appearing to enjoy every minute of it. Shadow continued to stare down at it as he contemplated risking it, causing Sonic to place his own chili dog down as he raised a brow.

"What's taking you so long? It's not like you haven't had it before...that'd be a sin." he was about to take another bite but he saw Shadow shake his head, actually dropping his food upon his plate. He looked at the other, wide eyed and in a state of shock. "You've never had a chili dog?!" Once again Shadow shook his head and watched the other with a look, wondering why it was such a big deal.

"Take a bite and tell me how it is," he sighed, looking dreamily above him. "It's like biting into heaven, Shadow. That's the only way to describe it..."

Shadow curiously but hesitantly lifted it in his hand, taking a very small bite. After the first one, he took another one which was much bigger. Soon enough he was eating it with a matching pace of Sonic, him too liking every moment of it. As they devoured everything on their plate they exchanged a few laughs and words (well, the blue hedgehog did) and then silence over took them. As Shadow continued to eat Sonic watched him quietly, already finished. He decided to pick a topic at random, shrugging slightly.

"You know, you never exactly tried to speak in a while. Maybe you can." this caused Shadow to look up with his mouth stuffed, which Sonic smiled but chose to ignore. He then took one of his fries and ate it, giving him a suggestive look. "It wouldn't hurt to try, hm?" Shadow looked down at his scar then back at Sonic with a glare, causing Sonic to laugh with care. "Well, not enough to kill you..."

Shadow then sighed, unsure what to think. He was nervous; what if he sounded weird? That's the last thing he needed in front of the blue hedgehog. Not that Sonic was heartless, but knowing his personality, he might laugh. With narrowed eyes he looked back at the other and shrugged, showing how he felt on the idea. Sonic, seeing his current expression, stood up and clasped the other's shoulders.

"When you're ready Shadow, make sure I'm there." he walked to the counter to pay for their meal, Shadow putting a note in his head to thank him for that. Sonic rubbed his stomach as he contently yawned, very stuffed from their meal. "I'm tired, but not enough to hinder my racing abilities." he gave Shadow a look, the black hedgehog reading his mind. A race didn't sound bad at all.

Sonic had left a very large tip for the young lady, one that impressed Shadow. The blue hedgehog, who pulled out numerous amount of bills from behind his quills, certainly was being paid well for a hero. He looked at it as if it was nothing, smirking at Shadow's look. "Why do you think I live nice?" he snickered, walking towards the door. Shadow followed after, letting the subject drop. Sonic chuckled again and was about to tell his friend a story, but they were interrupted by a very pissed off person clearing her throat.

The both of them looked behind themselves, seeing a very abashed and pissed Amy. She snarled at the two of them and walked right up to Sonic, sticking her face in his.

"Where the **HELL** were you?! I was worried **SICK!** You guys left me there, all alone, with all those people trampling me?! **_WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM, SONIC?!_**" her rants continued as she screamed at him, Sonic simply cowering as she yelled. His ears were folded down as he allowed her to shout, far too used to Amy in such a way. Shadow stood besides them with his temper quickly rising, biting his lip as he studied the pink annoyance.

Shadow just couldn't get why Sonic was taking this. He knew he didn't like conflict, but jeez; this was pitiful. In little to no thought Shadow had actually grabbed Sonic by the arm, pulled him back behind him, and did something he wouldn't believe a few minutes ago.

"For once in your life, can you **SHUT UP!?**" Shadow exclaimed, his deep and raspy scream silencing all around them. It echoed through the valley of buildings, actually causing birds to flee the closest tree on their side of the walkway.

Both Sonic and Amy looked at the black hedgehog in blatant shock. It certainly shut the female up, who's wide green eyes blinked at him. The two had completely abandoned the one-sided argument as Shadow stared back at them, fidgeting his feet. As both stood there and watched him as if he had two heads, he let go of Sonic's arm and actually turned away. Wasting no time, he took off slowly in front of him. With a quick walk he left the two behind, Sonic following soon after. Amy continued to stand there in shock even as her face was transforming to anger once again, the hero not bothering to say 'so long' to her.

Shadow had walked a good distance even when Sonic shouted behind him, the blue hedgehog catching up to him when he ran. He stopped in front of the black hedgehog with his eyebrows raised, panting slightly. "Shadow...that was amazing. All I can say is...thank you." Shadow only shrugged, not sure if he could speak again or not. Unsure of what else to say, Sonic and Shadow were not caring about Amy behind them.

With their stomachs full and their minds content, they decided to skip the race today.

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It was funny; my editor says to me, 'AMY REMINDS ME OF MY EX-GIRLFRIEND!' Got a laugh about that. XD

Comment, it makes me happy! I hope to have the next chapter up soon.


	19. Life or Death?

Someone like, kick my butt.

I've been a -pain- about updating. But it's hard with school, friends, and life in general. WHY MUST IT BE DIFFICULT!?

-Clears throat- Anyway, I knew it had to be put up. I know that feeling of having to wait, and editing/writing took my mind off things. So, yeah. I won't keep you waiting. Enjoy!

**Name**: 'Chained By Love'

**Rating**: Teen/PG-13 (might go up)

**Pairings**: SonicxShadow, possible KnuxRouge

**Warning**: Male/Male relationship; don't read if you don't like it

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With a rude awakening, Shadow sat up in a panic. Going from dead asleep to wide awake, he looked to the other standing in front of him. Sonic stood before the bed with a large smirk growing on his face, pulling away as he crossed his arms.

"I've been trying to wake you for 15 minutes; you sleep like a log!"

Shadow grumbled at the other as he rubbed at a single eye, giving him a deep set glare.

"Your brain is a log..." said the black hedgehog in response, obviously a tad grumpy from being awoken in such a way.

It had been two weeks since the black hedgehog developed his voice back, and he still wasn't used to it.

After getting the feel for his speech now and rejuvenating his throat, it was back to its normal qualities. It had proven to be a deep and husky tone, soft spoken but yet full with power. His voice was one that sounded intelligent yet threatening without trying too hard.

Sonic gave a laugh and jumped upon the bed, with his shoes on and all. Before Shadow could respond the blue hedgehog jumped up and down, looking upon the ceiling in confidence. "Whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you!" he said in a singing voice, sticking out his tongue at him before he actually flipped off the bed. He landed with his back to the other but he turned towards him, giving a faint shrug. "I'm giving you another 15 minutes to get your butt up and ready; you're coming with me today."

There was no more discussion as Sonic took off and closed the door behind him, leaving Shadow to sit in silence for a few moments. After reflecting for a bit he stood up, grabbing the few articles of 'clothing' he owned. The two rings he found at the G.U.N. car, his newly polished shoes, and now a pair of gloves. Sonic had given them each as a gift, a reward for his regained speech. Shadow felt so in debt to the other; Sonic would laugh and shrug it off, telling him to not worry about such 'foolish things'. But it was funny; even if now he could talk, the black one usually chose not to. He was still silent as ever as he stood or sat in a crowd, always opting to talk as little as possible. Sonic did not struggle to get him included since he usually responded, but he always chose to listen over actually talking.

After a quick shower, he entered his room once more to put his shoes on. Making his way to the bed, he ran his fingers through the back of his head quills while starting to pass the only mirror he owned. It was put in via Sonic, one that was sitting in Tails workshop. It suited Shadow fine even with the very small crack in the corner, finding it to be comforting in it's own small way. But before he finished walking completely past it, he came to a stop. Stepping backwards he stared himself over, amazed at what he saw.

In such few months, Shadow was a totally different person.

Running his fingers through healthy and silky quills upon his stomach, he then rubbed at the spot of white upon his chest. The red that streaked throughout him looked sleek and well-groomed, as well as the tan on his muzzle. There appeared to be soft yet lean muscle under his fur, one that was subtle yet noticeable enough. With a new sense of dignity, his eyes met their reflection in the mirror. Still slightly insecure, they gleamed with a brightness he hadn't seen in a long time, deciding to look away at that point. As he did so he was surprised to see Sonic curiously watching him, leaning his shoulder against the doorway.

"You really have changed, Shadow. But yet you're still that hedgehog I found, all chained up..." he walked over and looked into the mirror himself, running his fingers through cobalt head quills. Leaning over, the blue hedgehog attempted to give his spine a quick stretch. His quills were all clean and groomed looking themselves, and Sonic was catching Shadow's attention in such a position. Shadow couldn't take his eyes off of his counterpart, even saddened when he pulled his back straight once again. His eyes continued to travel over him until Sonic fully turned to him, gazing straight into his scarlet eyes.

"Ready to go?"

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Shadow walked down the street like a new man, looking very different since his first trip in the city.

By now, the black and red hedgehog was used to the bustling people, making sure to avoid their steps before hand. The shiny jewelry and small trinkets no longer caught his eye as he passed the stands, and the cars were just speeding metal death traps. His ears barely twitched as he passed a poverty-cursed man, once in a while casting them a careless look. Shadow had only one real thought on this city...

He hated it.

He would be much more content in a different environment rather than this dirty concrete jungle. Why not a real jungle? Or a forest. Shadow never really voiced his opinion to his azure friend and intended to keep it to himself, not wanting to bother Sonic over such a stupid thing. He'd tolerate and put up with it for now.

Sonic was humming to himself as the sidewalk cleared away, the both of them happy it wasn't busy today. But Shadow was more curious to why Sonic even took him out, raising an eyebrow as he crossed his arms.

"What's on the agenda today, hedgehog?"

Sonic, who slowly quieted his singing, looked to Shadow with a bit of a smile and a modest shrug.

"Just wanted to go out with you; is that too much to ask?"

Shadow raised an eyebrow at him but said nothing more, not wanting to dig further into it. Sonic was just far too strange for him to question sometimes. No one realized it, but Sonic was just that; he was an enigma within himself. Although yes, he was an amazingly sociable person with a great heart, he still had traits that many did not see. Shadow knew to some degree, Sonic was an adventurer. He could see the longing in his eyes and only imagined that sometimes, he really did just want to break away from heroism. Shadow could sense the wanting for freedom in him too.

But he wasn't going to lie, it was nice to hear Sonic say that. He enjoyed the fact that Sonic saw Shadow worthy of his time. How much the two would tease and bicker with each other, Shadow really did find their times...refreshing. He would never admit such a fact but it was true; Sonic was one of the most interesting people you could meet, when you could get a decent conversation out of him. And it didn't hurt he was a valuable racing partner.

As he continued to think about him, another thought just sprang into his mind.

'_...Why the hell am I so interested in him?'_ he thought, almost coming to a stop. If it wasn't for the blue one next to him, he would of paused just to try and come to a rationalization. For some reason, he was just so curious about the blue hedgehog. To the point he never wanted to be away from him, which was a big adjustment. Shadow was never a people person; the fact he actually wanted someone to talk to him and be close to him kind of frightened him. It made him slow down a tiny bit and give the back of the other hedgehog a strange look.

Just what was Sonic doing to Shadow? There was also the fact he made him feel...well, funny. Not just weird and curious, but funny. In the sense that he didn't know just what the hell he was feeling. It was new and it wasn't in the black one's vocabulary. Sometimes, when the blue hedgehog would laugh or smile, it made Shadow get a flustered feeling. Like, it was suddenly a little warmer in the room. Or his heart would feel like it was beating a bit faster or flipping around in his rib cage. Sometimes just looking at the hedgehog and thinking about him drove him crazy. It made him just want to close his eyes and imagine many, many things...

Many things Shadow didn't want to talk about.

It was all just hitting him now; what the hell was going on? Shadow even wondered if the other felt the same. He looked back from the ground to the blue hedgehog, raising an eyebrow. He really didn't know; God only knew what was in his head right now. There was one thing Shadow noticed, though. Sonic was making sure to spend less and less time with Amy; something both of them weren't complaining about. He'd even joke around with Shadow after the black hedgehog told him his explanation on what he felt about her. The blue hedgehog had snorted with laughter and agreed, the both of them referring to her as the, 'Pink Annoyance'.

The blue hedgehog, noticing Shadow's silence, had turned around to look at the other. He saw the black one walking with his hands behind his back and his eyesight down, which made Sonic watch him for a moment. He looked him over with slight mocking curiosity, a small smile forming on his face. There was something about Shadow that Sonic really did like. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it kept him liking him even after that whole G.U.N. disaster. Perhaps it was because whenever Sonic really looked into Shadow's eyes, he knew he was secretly good of heart. He was just misunderstood, seemingly confused, and hurt. He just needed some coaxing, that's all.

Sonic guessed he felt like it was his right to do it. He continued to watch the black hedgehog even as he raised his eyes, his ruby locking with Sonic's jade. The hero could only gaze into them with slight surprise; Shadow had quite nice eyes. They reminded the hedgehog of a raging fire, much like his personality. Like fire, Shadow could be calm and serene, but also ready to strike with a powerful burn. And, although it made Sonic feel weird saying this, he was beautiful and intoxicating like it.

Finally turning his head away, Sonic tried to ignore that thought when he spoke to him.

"We need to find something to do..." he thought, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Shadow raised an eyebrow, joining his side once more.

"Do you always go out without knowing where you're going...?" he asked, giving him a strange look. Sonic looked back to him, dropping his hand and shrugging.

"Yeah, so? Sometimes life is about just going out on a whim and finding a surprise." he boasted, and Shadow gave no response other than an even stranger expression. He continued as if he didn't see it, giving a heavy sigh. "Of course, we pick the most boring and uneventful of days to venture out..." he mumbled, casting a dark look across the town. Shadow was actually about to retort but a yell was heard in the distance, Sonic automatically springing into action. His ears perked and his eyes became like green electricity, sprinting towards the source of noise.

Shadow couldn't believe that happened in only a few seconds, but he found himself standing alone with a dumb look on his face. He quickly skated after the other and followed his trail, coming to a skid behind the blue hedgehog. He raised an eyebrow and after looking to his sides, stared towards the center of his view. He found what the owner of the scream was yelling about, which was a massive building set ablaze. Once again Sonic wasted no time as he turned to Shadow, a bit of a smirk on his face.

"You ready to see what I do everyday, bud?" with that, Shadow found himself being dragged to the entrance of the danger zone. His ears folded back and he looked to the blue hedgehog before him, giving him a bit of a crazy look.

"We're going in there?!" Sonic laughed at this question and his smile grew wider, opening the already crumbling door and throwing themselves in. Shadow took a look around and saw mostly complete darkness, but soon enough he saw the ceiling above them collapse. Little embers had fallen towards him which he avoided, Shadow gazing at his side. It appeared Sonic was already ahead and was climbing a pair of rickety stairs, calling back to the black one behind him.

"Make sure no one is left behind!" was all he called out, leaving the ebon hedgehog on his own. Shadow mumbled a curse under his breath and took off in the other direction, trying his best to look for any signs of life. He lifted a collapsed wall before him with little stress, raising an eyebrow. That proved he most definitely got his strength back. But the smoke was getting worse and worse, and he knew he had to rush. He shifted it out of his way and took down the closest hallway, searching for anyone in plain view.

So far, as he continued down the hallway, he was finding no one. He finally came to a dead end consisting of nothing but a closet door, which he opened and found a broom. He knew he didn't have much longer until this building was going to collapse. As if he jinxed himself, the floor's roofing came down as large chunks of plaster right down on him.

Shadow, who was hit with enough to fall to the floor, had wiped the dust from his eyes. Even if he knew he should of been moving fast, he took his time as he sorely stood up. As he surveyed the crumbled mess blocking his exit, his newly working vocals could only say one thing:

"Shit..."

At the rate the building was burning, Shadow was unsure if he'd have enough time to clear this all out of the way. He had amazing strength, but he wasn't sure if it was that great. He swiped his pain aside and began to clear away the wreckage, taking the massive chunks and throwing them behind him. He was working as fast as he could but it was getting harder and harder with the smoke filling his lungs...

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Sonic had made it out scot-free without a speckle of ash on his coat. And keeping to his heroic name, he clasped a child in his arms, leaving the blazing building in seconds. As soon as he stepped outside there were screams of cheers and praise. After he handed over the little girl to the closest fire fighter, the largest grin grew across his face. He raised his hand, waved at the crowd, and even endured the flashing camera lights until he noticed something very wrong.

Shadow was no where to be seen.

He looked across the crowd at first warily but it soon grew into a panic. Even as the many people began to leave he saw no sign of the black hedgehog. The firefighters were beginning to wet down the building but it seemed no use; the flames were far too strong. Sonic had a feeling that his friend was still battling it out in there. Wasting no more time, he busted into the melting door frame and ran towards where he sent Shadow, calling out his name as loud as he could.

"SHADOW! IF YOU HEAR ME, SAY SOMETHING!" he said, trying not to breath the heavy smoke too much.

There was silence, which made the blue hedgehog worry even more.

If Sonic was to lose Shadow...he wouldn't know what he'd do. Lose not only someone else, but a friend? The thought made his heart quench in the worst way imaginable, his pulse rising. He pushed through the crumbling pieces of ceiling, knowing it wasn't too much longer until it would fall completely. He squeezed past debris to the point he slid across the wall, finally coming out of the cramped space. When he stopped he came across a curled up Shadow, who was out like a light. He rushed over and threw small pieces of cement off his form, even waving off the small crumbs of dust upon his features.

The passed out hedgehog looked pained and Sonic could only imagine how long he was exposed to the smoke for. Throwing the hedgehog over his shoulder, he rushed out of the building. Through his way he pushed against the falling pieces with determination and had even bounded past a line of flames, landing on one knee. He was amazed at his distance and only looked back for a moment, finally reaching the exit and escaping.

He slid to a stop and fell to his knees, placing Shadow down to the ground. As soon as he did this, Sonic noticed something devastating; Shadow was not breathing. Without even hesitating Sonic lowered his lips onto the other and had held his nose, attempting the action of CPR. After a few more pumps he sighed deeply; Sonic could already feel tears coming. For one more time he lowered his mouth upon the other and was surprised by the reaction.

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Shadow guessed he was dead. Just by the coldness and the blackness, he knew he may not wake up.

He was surprised that death felt like this. The feeling of eternity was unknown; people believed different things. Shadow never went into deep thought on it. He never thought, '_will it be painful?_' or '_will I go somewhere else?_'. He was far too preoccupied with other things. Such as sitting in the own darkness of his cell. This automatically made the black hedgehog open his eyes, shedding the shadow's of his eyelids. He looked around and saw nothing, now getting the one thought he did have on the subject.

'_I wonder if Maria is happy..._ he'd always think, which made his heart sink. The hedgehog looked around, feeling like he was in an ocean of black. He looked upon his body and only saw faint red, his coat seeming to blend in with the background. The white on his chest and his crimson eyes were the only things seen in this lonely place. Shadow could of swore he was in a sea, the ebon and cold environment feeling like waves washing over his form.

Automatically, he felt quite scared.

Him? Be alone? Shadow had been alone for too long. And although he very much hid his desires to be among another, he really did have such feelings. He hated to admit it, but he really did get saddened at the fact he was now damned to be by himself. Yes, he felt alone; he felt like he had very little. He had a minuscule amount of people in his life even now, but only one really stuck out the most. Maria was in his mind, that small smile on her face she got whenever she looked at him. He'd grin back and he even did now at the sad thought of her, though something strange was happening; that image in his mind of the blonde girl was fading.

Her golden hair and piercing topaz eyes were fading into the black, leaving nothing there for a short second. The black one's eyes widened until something was filling her place. He could only see the outline of someone's eyes closed, but quickly they snapped open to reveal the brightest of fern. Like piercing gems, they broke the darkness to reveal Sonic's royal azure coat. It glossed in the light and that smile of his came onto his face, and Shadow knew he had to snap out of this.

Slowly those glowing and radiant eyes had switched from glad to a mix of fright and sadness. As those eyes were in his mind the darkness was fading into a piercing light, yet the blue hero's eyes never blinked. Soon enough Shadow's eyes had fully snapped open and he found the lips of the other's. And out of some unseen wanting and reaction, Shadow crushed his mouth against Sonic's.

The blue hedgehog had made some noise in his throat, his own eyes changing from scared to shocked. He felt the other locking lips with him and he didn't know what to do. But he still never removed his mouth from the black one as they continued to be interlocked. Neither did anything until they both broke for breath, Shadow taking his first gasp of air since his breathing ceased.

His head fell gently to the asphalt, making sure not to crack. He laid there for a moment until he realized what happened, opening his scarlet eyes to find green staring back at him, both confused and timid.

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We just hit 12000 hits! I have to say, that made me happy. And 170 comments!

Mmmkay; add to those numbers? Thanks to all of you!


	20. Trust Issue

Holy crap...I'M BACK!

Yes, it's been a while. It has to have been a few months, right? Well, a lot has happened in those fews months. I really needed to use them to get back on track. I was going to post a page on how I was taking my sweet ass time, but I decided to surprise you with a chapter instead.

It's a good one, a lot of things happen, I won't stop you anymore from reading it.

Enjoy the chapter, and REVIEW!

**Name**: 'Chained By Love'

**Rating**: Teen/PG-13 (might go up)

**Pairings**: SonicxShadow, possible KnuxRouge

**Warning**: Male/Male relationship; don't read if you don't like it

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Since the 'incident' at the blazing building, both hedgehogs walked back in silence. Shadow had an angry look on his face. Every time Sonic would even open his mouth to say something, the black hedgehog pointed his death glare in his direction. Sonic, who was now as equally confused as his counterpart, could only silence. He knew pushing the matter was not a smart idea.

The horizon was quickly fading into night time and the streets were beginning to become active again, the population now largely made up of young adults. Shadow mumbled to himself and sped ahead without Sonic, racing back to their apartment. Sonic chose to walk instead and sighed, his ears lowering to the back of his head. He was just terribly confused! He didn't know what to make of this. His emerald eyes narrowed to the direction of where the hedgehog raced off to, giving a 'hmph'. He stopped in his tracks, crossed his arms, and turned his back to the trail.

"He was the one who kissed ME!" he announced to no one in particular, knowing he was talking to himself. But as he continued to stand there, his eyes softened and he lowered his arms. "...But why didn't I stop him?" questioning himself, he turned back to the sidewalk, not taking long to get to his complex. He walked to the fourth floor in silence, not wanting to take the elevator. Making sure he took the most painfully slow steps he came to the front of his door, surprised to find it unlocked. He opened it and found no one in the heart of house, guessing Shadow went within his room. Slowly but surely he came to his door, at first knocking on the wood.

"Shadow, I want an explanation..." he said with a frown, crossing his peach-furred arms. There was silence behind the barrier until it was opened, a strangely calm look on Shadow's face. Before Sonic could open his mouth, Shadow beat him to it.

"Leave me alone, Sonic. Don't even think of disturbing me again." the door was slammed shut in the blue one's face, Sonic gazing at where the other just was in shock. In his own home, he had the door slammed right in his face! Angered, the hero had just turned around and went into his own room, slamming the door shut just as hard. He flopped down on the bed and took the closest pillow, clutching it to his chest.

For now, Sonic was not going to get any answer from Shadow. And how mad he was for the other not wanting to talk to him, he had to have a reason. Shadow hadn't snapped at him like that in a long time. Not since the day he really met him, to come and think of it. So he obviously had an excuse to why he wanted to be left alone. Maybe the black hedgehog was just as confused as he was.

Well, one thing was for sure; Shadow had to have kissed Sonic for some purpose. And that reason was...well, he guessed he liked him. Sonic didn't know what to think about that. Not only was it shocking, but it was certainly out of the blue. Maybe that's why he hated Amy so much? He wasn't too sure, but it certainly looked that way.

To a point, it was kind of...cute. Sonic felt insane at the thought of that; he hugged the pillow tighter, crossing his legs. The next question was what did he feel about Shadow? He didn't really hesitate to kiss back, which was confusing. But Sonic couldn't believe it; the rest of his life before, he had been attracted to only women. But Shadow? Sonic was positive he was anything but that.

As Sonic continued to think about Shadow, his head lowered onto the pillows behind him. Even if before he only found women extremely attractive, he wasn't going to lie; he really thought Shadow wasn't a bad choice. He was, of course, masculine looking but not big and bulky. He was not stout, rather lean and thin in his shape. He was built as aerodynamic as he was. Unlike a female, he had soft and subtle curves; one's that had fit just right. His coloring was completely different from the hero's cobalt including the burst of ivory upon his chest; Sonic knew for a fact it was soft. And of course, the most stunning thing for Sonic was those ruby eyes. Gleaming like small embers, Sonic could instantly get lost in them.

The more he thought about it, the more he saw himself with Shadow. But the thing that really was getting to him was the fact he was accepting this. Sonic had never considered himself in anyway homosexual until now. And there was still Amy to deal with; that was a whole other ballpark.

He sighed and just closed his eyes, hoping sleep would clear his mind.

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Without any notice, Sonic had opened his eyes to suddenly find daylight filling his bedroom. He stretched his back and guessed he had fallen asleep, rubbing at his eyes. He was about to stretch his legs further until he noticed there was a lump laying next to him under the covers. Slowly but surely he lifted the comforter to find Amy Rose laying upon her side, her eyebrow raised. She was fully up as if she was awaiting for him to awake. Instead of the angry look she usually had on there, was a very strange one; it was an attempt to be seductive. Sonic had looked at her in shock and had suddenly found himself being straddled by the other, unsure how to react.

Before he could even take a breath, the female above him was crushing her lips onto his. Sonic, not really sure on what else to do, had began to kiss back hesitantly. The two were in a quick kiss until Amy had departed, taking Sonic's wrists. She led them to the back of her dress and placed them on the zipper, and Sonic could only give her a look. Slowly but surely he took a deep breath and began to slowly unzip her clothes, closing his eyes tightly. Amy's voice was faintly in his ears as he did so, the female giving a laugh.

"Am I what you really want, Sonic?" was all she said, which caused the other to open his eyes.

Sonic's jaw visibly dropped as he saw someone else sitting on his lap, not expecting Shadow to replace the female. He sat there in the same exact position Amy was in seconds before, straddling him with both hands at his sides. A dark smirk was present on his face, drinking in both the sight of Sonic's body and shock hungrily. He leaned forward and slid his hands to the side of Sonic's head, looking down at the prize before him.

"...Or is it me?" he said, not hesitating one bit to ravish the other's lips. Sonic, who was hesitant with the female, was now kissing more aggressively. He felt the other pull at the bottom of his lip with his teeth and he could only moan out in pleasure, knowing exactly who he wanted.

Shadow's kisses were making there way lower on his form until the sound of a beeping alarm clock awoke him from his thoughts, breaking him away from his strange but enjoyable dream.

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Emerald eyes snapped open and the blue one broke out into the deepest of reds, turning off the alarm clock with his fist. He smoothed his now sweating head quills back and took a big gulp, snapping his head up.

It all had been a dream; a very, very suggestive dream. Sonic, was never all that great at processing dreams, but surprisingly he wasn't completely confused. The fact Amy had suddenly transformed into Shadow had to mean something. He rubbed at his arm shyly as he recollected every moment in the memory, having to redden even more at the last scene. His tastes had changed rather quickly, knowing that he simply wanted nothing to do with the pink hedgehog anymore.

But even if he knew what he wanted, how was he going to get him now? The black hedgehog was pretty much not on speaking terms with the other. And now how to get rid of Amy was a problem. Sonic could only imagine what his next few days would be like, having to sigh. His head hit the pillows once again with a soft 'thump' as he laid in his bed, unsure on what to do at this point.

Maybe he should just wait it out.

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Three days had gone by and Sonic was going crazy.

At the moment the blue hedgehog was sitting upon his couch, innocently kicking a soccer ball he found gently against the wall. Emerald eyes never left the patterned ball as it came back and forth to him and the drywall, a sigh erupting in his throat. Things had been generally quiet in the apartment now that Shadow was ignoring him. Once in a while the ebon hedgehog would open his door and venture quietly into the kitchen, and whenever he'd grab food he simply mumble a quiet 'thank you' and take his leave. Thinking that Shadow was going to give in the hero never usually responded, but in his mind he wanted to so badly.

At this point, Sonic didn't even get why the other was so upset; he certainly wasn't. He became bored with his mindless task and he let the ball roll away, looking up at the ceiling instead. He crossed his arms behind his head in thought. The only commotion around the place was when Amy decided to visit on the second day. And as soon as she walked into the house, the blue hedgehog barely said a word to her, which certainly bothered her. He recalled back with a frown and suddenly wanted to find that soccer ball again, just to kick it as hard as he could.

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Amy had opened the door with no knock as Sonic just relaxed upon the couch, laying down with his eyes closed. As soon as the door opened he raised a single lid, closing it as soon as he saw who it was. He sighed a bit and shifted himself to sit, looking once again back at her as she stood at the door frame.

"Hey Amy..." was all he said, gazing back to the television to look as distracted as possible. The female tracked across the room and took the seat next to him, amazing the hedgehog. Just a few days ago, she acted like she was in a rage with him; now it was like nothing happened. The blue hedgehog smiled weakly at her as he thought to himself, looking away from her view with a frown. '_Women are weird_...'

"Oh Sonikku, I've missed you so much! Where have you been, hiding from me?" she said with a giggle, and Sonic's smile threatened to crumble.

"Of course not, Amy," he said out loud, but inside his mind he said otherwise. '_That's exactly it_.' he thought, trying to shake it off.

She scooted herself closer and Sonic, unsure what to really do, slowly inched himself a bit further from her. Seeing this she raised an eyebrow and only came closer till Sonic was wedged between her and the arm of the couch. Hesitantly she was about to kiss him but the blue hedgehog stopped her by raising a hand, giving her a look.

"Um, look; I'm not really in the mood." was all he said, and Sonic got an experience once again with her mood swings. She stood up with quite the offended face on, throwing her hands to the side before crossing them.

"Sonic, what is your problem lately? You've been acting weird lately, and I know why..." she looked in the direction of the other's door and Sonic stood up, giving the look straight back to her.

"How can you even include him in this? I'm not acting weird, you're just being a pest, Amy; plain a simple." he couldn't stop the words from coming out of his mouth, which earned him a harsh push to the couch. She shook her head and rolled her eyes, giving him a look of pure acid.

"I know when I'm not wanted; Sonic, good bye." she left him with no more than that and slammed the door behind her, not telling Sonic if this was the last time he'd ever see her.

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Just as Sonic recalled this he was surprised when a door opened behind him, his gaze switching from in front of him to the black hedgehog. The streaked one stood there in the other's gaze for a moment until he actually moved towards him, his arms crossed. He had a cold look in his eyes as his arms unfolded from each other, placing a single hand on his hip.

"What happened yesterday?" he asked quietly and nonchalantly. Sonic looked at him for a moment, wondering if reading minds was on the list of the hedgehog's abilities. He wouldn't be surprised as he looked him over a moment, shaking off his distracting thoughts.

"Just...a scrap with Amy is all," he said with a frown, looking away. He tried to act as if it was nothing, then looking down. He turned his gaze up again when the other gave a soft snicker, raising an eyebrow.

"Still timid on dumping her?" he said outright, and the two looked each other straight in the eye. Emerald was getting lost in garnet even when the hero spoke, once again giving a roll of his shoulders.

"Now it's all about how I should do it..." he said, closing his eyes in irritation. "...if it hasn't been done already. She left without giving me much of an answer, but I don't think it's going anywhere," he said, running his fingers through his head quills. Shadow said nothing as he continued to watch the other, once again his arms crossing.

There was a good few minutes of shared silence between them, as if one was waiting for the other to speak up. Shadow looked calm and serene on the outside but calculating on the inside, as Sonic was just thoughtful on the inside out. The only sound in the room was the wind picking up outside; this was the moment Sonic decided to stand. The blue hedgehog slowly made his way closer to the hedgehog opposite him with slow steps, watching Shadow unfold his arms. Eyes never left each other even when they were only a few inches away, Sonic raising an eyebrow.

"So," was how he began. "why did you leave me hanging the other day?"

Shadow said nothing for a few moments until he shrugged, his eyes still never leaving the other. He would never admit it but he was extremely nervous and he was afraid his appearance would show this. He didn't stand down even how terrified he was, giving a straight answer.

"Because I don't know why I did that..." he said softly, which was the honest truth. "I'm not good with my emotions, hedgehog."

Sonic smirked slightly at the nickname and he suddenly found himself very gently pushing Shadow back, being surprised when the other let him. Shadow's back was right against the wall when Sonic did the next thing on a whim; he kissed him. Very softly, just a peck on the lips. Shadow blinked and broke the stare, unable to believe that just happened. He bit his lip and tried not to blush, Sonic laughing softly.

"Then I don't know why I did that either," said Sonic, who once again planted a kiss on the other's lips. This one was much more planned out and slower, Sonic making sure it lingered for a moment. Shadow, who's hands were sprawled across the wall, had gripped at nothing until the other pulled away. A part of him was becoming very confused as he stood there.

'_Why the hell am I letting him do this?_' he asked within his head, his heart racing. Was this what he really wanted, right now? Shadow didn't even know what he really wanted; he still didn't even know how he felt. Sonic's next action was even more of a surprise and when Shadow felt the other snake his arms around him, he instantly jumped. He was far too new at this but Sonic didn't mind, only bringing his body into his contact. They were pressed together and Sonic gave one more kiss, this time prying Shadow's mouth open with his own.

Shadow instantly flinched but Sonic soothed him by rubbing at his sides, trying to give some reassurance. He pulled his mouth away from his, not completing his kiss, giving Shadow a gentle look.

"Wrap around your arms around my neck, Shadow; I'm not going to hurt you."

The black and red hedgehog looked at him pensively and slowly did just that, allowing Sonic to proceed with his kiss. The both of them opened their mouths and exchanged a passionate kiss, all while Shadow was trying to think this through. It was tough to do just that as they were caught in the heated battle of tongues, the black hedgehog closing his eyes and trying to fight them off. But he just couldn't; he felt the last words of the other were just too strong.

'_I'm not going to hurt you_' raced through his mind, his heart breaking; why didn't Shadow trust him?

Just when Sonic pulled away and began to trail his lips down the other's neck, he stopped in mid journey. Shadow's hands were now undone from his neck and his hand was pushing the other away, saddened emerald catching just as emotional ruby. Shadow took a step to the side and turned his back to Sonic, shaking his head. The blue hedgehog was about to speak but the other interrupted him, already walking away.

"I have to think about this." was all he said and before Sonic could blink, the door slamming behind him.

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You know, the usual; Rate and Review. x)


	21. Ms Rouge

Um yeaaaaaaah.

I HAVE FINALLY POSTED THIS.

Since summer is finally here I finally have had the time. You know, between my friends, boyfriend, and work, sometimes it's hard to get around to this.

And, also, I've started a new story!

It's not that I'm getting bored with this, but there are so many new things I wanna write. C'mon, I love me some Sonadow.

But yeah, enough of that. Don't kill me if this is a bad chapter. Enjoy!

**Name**: 'Chained By Love'

**Rating**: Teen/PG-13 (might go up)

**Pairings**: SonicxShadow, possible KnuxRouge

**Warning**: Male/Male relationship; don't read if you don't like it

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"When did my life become so complicated again?"

Shadow said this to no one in particular, standing upon a cliff's edge. The drop below was steep and lead to an open field, one that stretched with tightly packed trees. Breaking the expanding green there was a large pond glimmering in the sunlight, one that was eerily still. He looked down at the tiny evergreens which almost looked like shrubs surrounding a very deep puddle. Shadow laughed once to himself at this thought, scarlet eyes looking concerned. He was trying his best to get his mind off the current situation he landed himself in. Yet to no avail, he knew he would fail at this; the blue hedgehog had been on his mind constantly lately.

Bothered eyes closed as he placed a single hand upon them. What a problem Shadow was in. The hedgehog thought he should have been happy; didn't he secretly want Sonic all along? He continued to contemplate it and his shoulders gave a roll. '_Not like that..._' was the thought that popped in his head, which made his eyesight switch to the clouds. The blue hedgehog, who probably meant no harm, did practically...well, jump him. One moment, they were barely speaking and the next, they were caught in a make-out!

This made Shadow shift nervously, scrunching his nose a bit. Only moments before that, Sonic seemed to have ended it with the pink one. Shadow hadn't even thought of her, really. Was he any better by letting Sonic move in on him like that? Sure, she was a bitch, but no one deserves to be hurt like that. His ears lowered to the back of his head as he was slowly getting to answer why he fled. Really, what was stopping Sonic from doing the same thing to him?

Now, he understood that Sonic really was an amazing person. Hell, the best thing he had met in years. But Sonic showed Shadow before he was sort of...bad in the relationship category. Perhaps he didn't mean to, but the facts stand clear. What really was stopping the blue one from hurting him? Shadow snorted to himself, crossing his arms as he again shifted in his spot. Yeah, okay; this did kind of sound weak, but he couldn't deny it.

Shadow really didn't want to get hurt like that.

From what he observed, no pain is worse than emotional pain. No cut, no bruise, no gun shot wound could amount to the way you bleed when someone breaks your heart. And although he wasn't even in love before, he had _loved_ before. And when that person he loved was brutally killed, his heart broke right in two.

Right now, that was the last thing Shadow needed. And if he remembered correctly, Sonic even admitted he used Amy. Shadow would let no one use him. He narrowed his eyes in irritation, let his arms drop to his sides, and angrily kicked a rock down the long fall of the cliff. He heard it faintly hit the sides and then smack into the water, surprised when he heard the wind's silence broken by another's voice.

"I thought I wouldn't be able to find you," quietly stated Sonic, who had slowly walked towards the back of the hedgehog. He remained a few feet behind him as he quietly watched Shadow, unable to say much more. Shadow looked behind him at the other and studied the rise and fall of his chest, taking a guess Sonic had been running around for quite some time. Ruby eyes, although they seemed cold and slightly unimpressed, were hiding the slightly joyous feelings within him.

"Yeah, you have a knack for not leaving me alone." he said teasingly, and this caused the blue hedgehog to laugh. The hero shrugged and walked only a bit closer, giving a shrug.

"What can I say, I enjoy spending time with you."

Once again there was a very uncomfortable silence. Shadow had shifted in his spot to show this, and Sonic watched him with a raised eyebrow. Shadow looked upon his gloved fingers and began to fiddle them in some unknown interest, trying to find the right words. As if the blue hedgehog knew he did not speak, but did tap his foot without a sound. Shadow had then sighed in annoyance and turned to his friend, giving him an angry look.

"Care to tell me what the hell you're doing to me?" he said, Sonic shocked at how he could go from calm to irate in seconds. Jade eyes blinked as he cocked his head to the side, crossing his arms in front of him.

"What are you talking about? 'What _I'm_ doing to you'?" he asked, a slightly mocking look on his face.

The tone of his voice and look on Sonic's face had seemed to only bother him further, stomping his feet as he stuck his face into the others. "Until now, I was completely and utterly content being left alone. Hell, I was fine without talking. I could of lived all by myself and never be bothered without a care. But then **YOU**," he took a step back and pointed a finger at him, continuing. "Now whenever I'm around you," he straightened himself and calmed, looking at the hedgehog in slight bewilderment. "Now I don't want to be alone anymore." he became quiet, letting the silence only linger for a moment before he continued.

"I've never felt this way about anyone. Not even Maria." Sonic's eyebrows visibly perked at the sound of his dead friend's name, but continued to say nothing. "I feel like I've just met you but at the same time, like I've known you forever. I feel like you're pretty much one of the only people I can trust at this point. No one has ever welcomed me or made me feel so at home. No one has ever...looked at me like I'm not a danger to society. No one but you, your friends, and Maria." he looked down, his ears lowering. He really hated feeling so exposed like this.

"But Sonic...why should I trust you?" he asked, crimson eyes looking suspiciously at the other. The one being asked drank in the sight of the black hedgehog, unable to believe this was Shadow. It was certainly a rare occasion that he wanted to remember; a part of him felt like this would be a freak occurrence.

"Well...may I first say that this is perhaps the most you've said...ever." This actually lightened Shadow's mood a bit, the blue hedgehog happy to see him become less tense. He made his way over and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze. As Shadow's head was lowered and his ears were folded back, he lifted his chin with his gloved hand delicately. "Well, I'm not the blame for all of it," he scoffed a bit. "I can't help being me, Shadow." Shadow gave him a look as the other laughed, the hedgehog continuing seriously. "That's also...you. That's called attraction."

Shadow looked up from the ground to the other, raising a confused eyebrow. "Attraction?" Sonic nodded to this, giving a shrug as he tried to explain it.

"Yeah; you feel attracted to me. And," his smile gleamed. "the feelings are mutual, Shadow. I don't want to hurt you, bud. And you shouldn't be scared of me doing it, because in no way do I compare you to Amy. My attraction to you is nothing like what I felt for her...she was nothing to me." Sonic watched him for a moment. "I know in the past I wasn't the best with these things, but I feel so different with you, Shadow."

They both found themselves staring into each other's eyes just like an hour before, and once again attempting a lip lock. Their lips were crushed tightly together until the clicking of heels abruptly interrupted them...

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Shadow's ears perked first to the soft sound, automatically freezing in his actions. Sonic, who had his eyes closed for a bit of time, opened them when he felt no contact on his lips anymore. His ears folded back and his eyes opened, giving Shadow's current expression a weird look; it was a mix of calm vigilance and worry.

"Shadow, what's-" suddenly he was cut off by the male tackling him to the ground, followed by the sound of something whizzing above them. Though it was fast, it wasn't nearly as quick as the striped hedgehog's movements. Shadow finally lifted himself off from Sonic, the blue hero turning to him and raising an eyebrow as he stood. "What the hell was that?!"

There was a laugh from behind him and Sonic continued to watch Shadow in front of him with a shocked face. Shadow's eyebrows lowered as well as his lids, changing from surprised to pissed off quickly. The hero turned from facing the cliff to the forest, finding someone else joined their presence. A white female bat fluttered above him, a well-glossed smile forming on her face. She lowered herself in front of them, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.

"Well, well, well. I seem to have come in on a...good time." she chuckled slightly, turning her attention to the black one. "Do you remember me, Shadow? It was only...well, a little while since our last visit." she shifted her weight onto one leg, awaiting his answer.

Shadow's mind was only drawing blanks, nothing about her seemed familiar. Before he could even answer the female grew impatient, and her eyes switched to the blue one. Sonic, who was about to speak, was cut short with a kick to the stomach. For a female, she had the hardest kick he had ever endured. Straight to the gut, it knocked not only the wind out of him, but off the cliff entirely. Completely unconscious, he plummeted towards the water and landed with a shattering splash. Shadow quickly sprang into action and knew to deal with the female after saving his friend.

He faintly remembered Sonic explaining to him some fear he had of the water. The hero always would cringe at the sight of deep water and huff under his breath, giving off apparent dislike towards it. He even faintly recalled him telling Shadow that he couldn't swim. Now the black hedgehog was bulleting down after the other with the wind in his eyes, disrupting the already broken surface.

The water was not only cold, but dark. He strained his eyes as he looked frantically around, finally spotting what he wanted. He swam through the murky black by stroking his arms and kicking his legs, making his way towards the sinking hedgehog. He shook his head at the blue one and grabbed at the scruff of his neck, almost at the bottom. The both of them were running out of air so he moved fast, even with the extra weight. Sonic clutched him loosely as Shadow carried his dead weight, looking determined. Small bubbles and the tiniest of fish cleared out of his way, finally taking a deep breath as he reached the shore. He laid Sonic flat on his back and examined his knocked out form, and was relieved to see nothing wrong. He didn't even need to do CPR; which was a relief. The both of them didn't need to deal with what happened the last time.

The black hedgehog's ears folded back as he heard footsteps making their way towards him, knowing those clicking heels from anywhere. He snarled as he lifted his head to her, getting off his knees and onto his feet. "What is your problem!? And who the hell are you, for that matter?"

She watched the one who just spoke with a raised eyebrow, stopping a few feet away from him. As if she was contemplating answering his question, she shifted her weight onto one leg and placed her hand on her hip. Finally giving in she smiled, her teal eyes glinting at the male.

"You can call me Rouge, the best of any jewel thief around." she nodded. "That's a fact. And you have something I want, Shadow."

The black hedgehog's throat clenched, but he did not show it. He kept the glowing emerald behind his head quills and said nothing, allowing her to continue. She silently watched him, crossing her arms as she began to walk around him. Shadow knelt a bit to Sonic's side, watching her with narrowed and sharp eyes. The crimson within them glinted, ready to defend himself and his friend if necessary.

"You see, I have two...major parties, let's say, that are in search for something; one, a close friend of mine. He thinks it's rightfully his because he's not only an heir, but the only one that can tame it. The man has it convinced he could use it for every ability it posses, and help that certain something find the ones that are still locked away. He has a," she smirked to herself. "nice reward for me."

"Now the other is on the whole other side of the pole. They will do anything to have their hands back on it." she paused and let this sink in, and Shadow already knew who she was speaking of. "GUN has been missing it badly, Shadow. And like Dr. Eggman, they're willing to pay a hefty sum," she shrugged. "Such offers are too large and sweet to ignore." Although it was very unladylike like, she cracked her knuckles, and shrugged. "Which is why I'm here for not a jewel, but a runaway hedgehog." With only one more moment of silence she charged towards him, but was surprised when Shadow was no where in sight. She turned her head towards the forest before her and saw a black blur taking off with the other in his arms, her own sensitive ears folding back.

Rouge had unluckily forgot how fast Shadow was, who took off like a rocket. But he knew it wouldn't be too long before she found him, since bats were known for their senses; the ability of flying didn't hurt either. He knew he had to get Sonic off to a safe place so he looked around as he continued, finding a hallowed out tree. He crept towards it and looked within, not finding much other than an old spider web. He sat the unconscious Sonic within it and watched him for a moment, his eyes narrowing when he heard the flaps of wings.

He made sure he was a good distance away until Rouge had dropped to the ground, not wanting her to get her hands on Sonic. She landed on her sharp heels and raised a mocking eyebrow, looking upon Shadow as if he was a fool. "Are you sure you don't want to run? I may be a woman, but I put up one hell of a fight." she warned, waving a finger in front of her.

Shadow growled, "C'mon Rouge," he ignored her comments, "ladies first."

Just like a calm before the storm, there was complete stillness and quiet from the two. Rouge looked upon Shadow with a smirk, and the angered male had glared back at her with daggers. The only movement was the rustling fall trees and their dropping leaves, which spiraled down to the unmoving ground. Without anymore hesitation the female had suddenly lifted off the earth with the use of her legs and wings, sending herself foot first into the hedgehog.

Shadow had flown back a good distance, the female landing in tack daintily upon her toe. She smiled as she watched Shadow skid to the ground on his knees, clutching at his side painfully. He growled in a mix of hurt and annoyance at the fact the female had gotten such a good hit on him. The male narrowed his eyes dangerously upon her with a hiss, using his speed to his advantage. He pushed off the ground and sent a forceful punch towards her, forgetting all lessons of chivalry. It hit her square in the face and she fell back herself, landing with one knee as she felt her swelling cheek. She snarled at him and bared her fangs, dusting herself off painfully as she stood.

"Hasn't anyone ever taught you to never hit a lady?!" Shadow let out a laugh, giving her a devilish smile.

"That applies for women, doesn't it?" smirked the male.

This certainly pushed her buttons, and the female rushed towards him in anger. She sent another kick towards him but he grabbed her foot, turning her into a spin and watching her fall to the ground. He was about to send a powerful kick into her but she beat him to it, kicking him right in his vulnerable side. From both the hit now and the one from before, he buckled to that flank and took another blow to the face. The metal tip of her shoes sure did hurt.

After one more hit to his weak spot, Shadow staggered back clutching both his side and his cheek, spitting a dribble of blood from his mouth. His ears folded back as he fought to stand straight, not wanting to look weak. He didn't even care about the fact he was getting beaten by a girl, but was just surprised by her powerful shots. Though yes, she had been much more prepared than him, she seemed to be the winner of this fight. She let out a soft chuckle as she continued her way to the beaten male, readying her foot for one more hit.

"Ah, Shadow. I promise that your capture will not be in vain; you'll make me a very rich woman." she lifted off her back foot and was aiming right for him, her wings propelling her at a great speed right for his chest. Shadow acted fast as he jolted out of the way just in time. Instead of her foot meeting his body, it met with a very large tree. She had used all the power she could for her final blow, making this a vast mistake; the tree had cracked from the pressure. Not only was it swaying dangerously, but her foot was stuck within the splinters. Trapped and with a sprained ankle, the tree was going to surely fall upon her.

She tried desperately to free her shoe, letting out a cry of pain as her ankle only dug further. Shadow watched this and knew she did not have long with such a damaged tree, his chest heaving a sigh. The male had mustered all the strength he had and jumped towards the female, and all there was in the valley was the echo of a large crash from a falling tree.

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Yeah, I wasn't sure if the action good, or the characters. Please, don't tell me I'm going into a slump!

Rate&Review, people.


	22. A Misunderstanding

Yes, it has been a long time. But lately, I've been doing my own thing, thinking of new Sonadows but mostly writing my own story! Not going to reveal too much other than that, but I also had a period of like, no inspiration. Then I finally made myself shape up and update.

Um, not sure how to feel about this chapter since it's been so long. I hope everyone enjoys, gives me suggestions, and one very, very important thing:

**Do you want to see Sonic and Shadow happy? Or would you rather this turn out as a tragedy?**

I'd actually really like my fans/reviewers to decide, so please drop a comment and give me your opinion and why.

Enjoy, everyone!

**Name**: 'Chained By Love'

**Rating**: Teen/PG-13 (might go up)

**Pairings**: SonicxShadow, possible KnuxRouge

**Warning**: Male/Male relationship; don't read if you don't like it

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This was not the first time Rouge had awoken in a strange room with a headache. At least the last time this happened, she knew she was having a good time. She lifted her body to pin herself up against the headboard, rubbing at her left temple. When opening her eyes, her vision was hazy. Regaining more focus, she spotted the cause of her ails, recalling her previous events.

Shadow was silently calculating, sitting in a wooden chair across from her. His gaze was occupied by staring blankly out the window, crimson eyes searching for nothing in particular. He crossed his arms, slung his left leg over the other, and embodied the stance of thinking. Rouge had no care on what he could be thinking; she wanted to know how she'd get out of there. She looked down upon her arm, feeling numbed pain. Although she could move it, it was bandaged over a particularly large bruise. A bandage was on her hurt ankle, obviously from getting it stuck in the tree. She also had a butterfly stitch upon a cut on her forehead, which she sighed at; this caught the attention of the male in the room.

His ears perked at her voice and he looked in her direction, raising an eyebrow. "I'm surprised you woke up so early; it's 9 in the morning," he said, quite groggily. He too was bandaged but only on his wrist. When he used both hands to push off the chair to stand, she guessed the injury did not affect him. "how do you feel?"

Rouge was shocked at his kindness after all she had done to him. She stared at him for a moment and blinked, giving a bit of a stunned shrug. "Fine," she then spoke softly. "why did you help me?" she asked, staring up at him.

The streaked hedgehog contemplated for a moment, looking out to the window once more. He then turned his gaze towards her, staring her down. "Because I know what it feels like to be in need of help. You can't expect me to leave you lying there, unconscious," he snorted. "I'm not that unkind. After I tackled you, you were knocked out from hitting your head on the ground. I rested you there for a moment and went to get Sonic, who was still unconscious as well. I came back to you and saw you there, curled up and injured. So, trying to be a good person, I put you on one shoulder and him on the other."

She listened intently to his story and her ears folded back. She had a lot of pride, but now it was quite the opposite. The female was suffering guilt. To think she was being so greedy to try and almost sell someone; even if it was a great deal. Their eyes met for a good amount of minutes and Rouge sighed, breaking their gaze. "You saved my life. Thank you."

Shadow shrugged, his eyebrow rising once again. "Yeah, you should be. Maybe you won't be so lucky next time."

She chuckled at that, her eyes glinting. "You used to be so weak; who thought you'd get so handsome." she smirked and Shadow gave her a dirty look, snorting as he ignored her comment.

"You sprained your ankle, cut your forehead, and just bruised your arm. You're going to be fine. Even if you were knocked out, you somehow didn't get a concussion."

Rouge shrugged. "It's all luck, eh?" she smiled. "You must be my guardian angel, gorgeous." she batted her eyelashes at him and attractively cackled, her sneer growing. "Don't worry, I'm kidding. I know you have a boyfriend."

Shadow looked ruffled by this, snapping at her quickly. "I do not have a boyfriend!" he said this in a hiss, his eyes narrowing. The female only continued to laugh, looking extremely devilish.

"It sure seemed like it when I walked in on you two." she crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow at him.

The black hedgehog grunted, giving a shrug. "Like that's any of _your_ business. And yeah, thanks for the interruption. Your intentions were sweet."

Rouge smiled at him, shrugging right back. "No problem Shadow," her smile grew more affectionate. "Shadow sounds much better than project."

He studied her for a moment and slowly nodded, looking to the door. "I have to agree." he stepped away from her bedside and leaned against the frame, turning to her. "If you need me, I won't be far. Don't touch anything, this is my room. I'll know if you've been looking through it." Rouge was about to say something and was cut off. "Oh, and I took everything valuable out. There are other people in this house, so don't freak them out."

She frowned, giving him a look. "Freak them out? I'll try not to. I'm going to get some rest." she rolled onto her side, adding one more thing. "Give your boyfriend a kiss for me."

Shadow looked furious but said nothing, biting his tongue back as he stomped out of the room.

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The black hedgehog had to only walk a few feet to reach the blue hedgehog. He was fast asleep in his room, looking almost lifeless but breathing. After checking for injuries, Shadow had carried his resting form to the bed. He seemed perfectly fine but still knocked out, Tails stating it was nothing. Using his telephone skills with a small amount of trouble, Shadow called Tails to come over to check both Sonic and Rouge out. After taking care of the female bat, Tails checked out the blue hedgehog and said he should wake by morning.

It was still early, so Shadow wasn't worried. The small fox was curled up in the living room, fast asleep. He assumed Rouge too fell back to sleep. According to Knuckles, he wouldn't arrive until noon. Shadow was the only one awake, alone in the house. He stood in Sonic's room quietly, watching his slumbering form. He felt strange watching him, even if it wasn't the first time he'd done the same thing. Making sure not to wake the other, his steps were silent as he approached his bed side. He took a seat on it and slumped over, looking at his feet.

As he stared down and concentrated on not looking at him, he was having trouble. His brows furled in frustration and he finally turned to the hero's direction, giving him a mixed look. The blue hedgehog had once again looked angelic in his rest, laying on his stomach with his face nudged in his pillow. Shadow was feeling so confused. What was he to do now? He was now learning once again the consequences of opening his heart.

Shadow turned completely towards him and placed his hand on the other's shoulder. He watched for his reaction and found nothing, beginning to subconsciously rub his back. Shadow stared at nothing in particular as he did this, just wondering to himself. He didn't even notice him beginning to wake, Sonic stretching his body out and opening his eyes. Emerald widened to the black hedgehog staring into the distance, his hand smoothing comfortably over his back. Sonic moaned into the pillow and flexed his back, getting the other hedgehog's attention.

Being both surprised and caught in an embarrassing situation, Shadow unexpectedly jumped and fell off the bed.

Sonic was shocked at first, unable to believe Shadow did something so ungraceful. He blinked and then blurted out a hard snicker, clutching his stomach.

"Shadow, are you alright?!"

The black hedgehog placed one gloved hand on the bed, clutching the sheets for a moment where he laid. Sonic then saw his face par with the bed level, blowing loose quills from his face. He gave the other a dirty look, adjusting himself and brushing those strands back.

"Great, as you can see," he said grumpily, sitting in the spot he just fell from. Sonic gave him a concerned face, reaching over.

"Aww, don't be upset because you were caught; twice in the same minute." Shadow snorted, giving him a harsher look.

"Shut up," was all he said, silencing the other hedgehog. Sonic then proceeded to give him a 'puppyish' face and Shadow rolled his eyes, crossing his arms and looking away. "You're like a child."

Sonic smirked and took a hold of Shadow's chin, raising an eyebrow. "You know, you're more sensitive then you let off." Shadow swatted his hand away, Sonic changing the subject. "What happened today?" he blinked. "Did I fall asleep...?" It took him a few moments, but he remembered their previous events. He jumped up on the bed, grabbing his head quills. "What happened to that bat!?" he asked, looking furious.

Shadow blinked and stood upon the floor, wooing him with his hands. "Everything is fine, it was a misunderstanding. We," he paused. "talked things out." he rubbed his side, still sore from her kicks yesterday. Sonic had a dumbfounded face on again, but shrugged.

"That's good to hear. What did she want?" he asked, his ears perking.

Shadow sighed, crossing his arms out of habit. "GUN is back after me. Also someone named," he hesitated. "Robotnik, I think?" he looked at the wall in thought, waiting for Sonic's response. He was surprised that a few moments went by without a sound, looking in his direction. Sonic looked furious and his ears were pinned back, staring Shadow down.

"Eggman? What did she say about him?" Shadow stared up at him and shrugged, sitting back down on the bed.

"She just said he was in search for me. He was related to my creator," he said softly. "Other than that, I don't really know."

Sonic nodded and sat by the other's side, looking determined. "Don't worry. I won't ever let him touch you." he placed his hand on the other's leg, slowly nudging at Shadow's neck with his lips. Shadow said nothing and decided to stare forward again, closing his eyes at Sonic's nuzzle. He relaxed and his shoulders drooped in comfort, content by the other's touch. His own head tilted to the side, letting both their cheeks affectionately meet.

"I'm not worried or scared, Sonic. It takes a lot more to frighten me."

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Remember, I really want opinions:

Should this end up happy, or sad?

Make sure you review and tell me!


	23. Her Return

Alright, the chapter title says it all. I was SO NERVOUS to put this up, no joke, you could ask my editor. I'm sorry this took so long to put up, but I've been busy applying to colleges and school work. Well, not really school work; senior year is much easier.

I've been dealing with my job, social life, trying to make sure I have a future. To keep things simple, my life has been pretty hectic. Thanks for all the reviews of the last chapter, I give you full permission to slap me for taking so long to update!

Well, I can't say I technically 'rushed' (aheh, took my time to update...) but I'm not sure how well the chapter is; but then again, I say this at all the beginning of the chapters it seems! I have no self-confidence...

You know the drill; comment and tell me what you think! It will really help me out, because I'd like to wrap this story up soon. I got a few more ideas I need to make into stories.

**Name**: 'Chained By Love'

**Rating**: Teen/PG-13 (might go up)

**Pairings**: SonicxShadow, possible KnuxRouge

**Warning**: Male/Male relationship; don't read if you don't like it

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Shadow was unsure for how long or even when the two of them fell asleep, but he woke up groggy again. He rubbed his crimson eyes with a sigh, scratching at the messy patch of white fur upon his chest. Sonic was sprawled on top of him, his mouth open with his face buried into his stomach, snoring out loud. Shadow gave a bit of a 'humph' as he shifted himself to sit up against the headboard, closing his eyes in recollection.

He thought it was weird that the last hour before he fell asleep was a blur; it wasn't as if he was intoxicated or anything. For some reason, the things the two acted out seemed so hazy. But Shadow could remember the basics of it. He stopped his thoughts there as he blushed, choosing not to continue their list of what they did. It was a spur of the moment action when Sonic had planted a rather rough kiss on Shadow. Before he knew it, the two of them were connected by the lips. That's when it started to get fuzzy.

The black hedgehog just assumed they passed out after they were done. Sonic was still in a deep sleep on his chest. He really didn't want to disturb him, but he knew he had to. Shadow had gently shifted the other off him and laid his back to rest on the bed, Sonic only stirring slightly. Once again, the hero felt the loss of warmth much like the last time Shadow was caught in bed with him. He curled into a defensive ball of spikes with a frown, Shadow forcing the smile off his face as he walked towards the washroom.

After a minute of cleaning himself up, he quickly dried off. He dressed himself again and made sure he looked presentable as he stepped foot out of the bathroom, completely thrown off his nerve when two forms came rushing past him. One was red and bulky, and the other was flying away from it.

Shadow immediately recognized the echidna as he screamed his way down the hallway, all the way down to the room Shadow placed Rouge. Her door had suddenly slammed shut as soon as Knuckles ran to it, the red creature snarling as he slammed his fists on the wood. "WHO LET THIS _THEIF_ INTO THE HOUSE?!" he shouted, and the black hedgehog would not be surprised if he woke Sonic from his sleep.

Shadow gave him a calm expression, sweeping his just cleaned fur off after being knocked into the wall. "Care to shut up?" he said, his voice quiet.

Burning, violet eyes turned towards Shadow, the echidna's hackles raised as he pointed an unseen finger at him. "Care to explain why _she_ is in here?" The hedgehog looked at him as if he had two heads, raising an eyebrow.

"Do you mean Rouge?" he said, his voice still remaining hushed.

The echidna's eyes bulged. "You know her!? Did you let her into the house!?"

The black hedgehog shrugged, walking past him. "What if I did? It isn't your house, it's Sonic's. And if you keep shouting like this, you're going to wake him up." When the echidna glared at him, Shadow glared twice as hard, opening Rouge's door and closing it behind him. "So, you two have met before?"

The female bat laughed to herself, throwing a chaos emerald into the air like it was nothing. She gazed at Shadow with a raised eyebrow as she laid across the bed, giving a shrug. "Knuckles? We're quite acquainted. I know his Master Emerald quite well, too."

Shadow then realized the chaos emerald in her hand, recently hearing that Knuckles had obtained the very one she clasped. It was easily guessed why he was so furious. Rouge couldn't even see the striped hedgehog snatch it from her, once again cursing his speed. It was now Shadow's turn to toss the enchanted stone in the air, snorting.

"Stealing is a nasty habit." was all he said as he opened the door to find not only Knuckles, but now a slightly sleepy looking Sonic. The blue hedgehog's quills still look tousled from their romp in his bed. Shadow had to give him a smirk as he tossed the stone to the blue hedgehog, walking past the two of them as they gave him confused looks.

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The black hedgehog walked to the kitchen, grabbing a glass from the cabinet. He filled it with water and took a sip as he happily stood in the silence, ruby eyes glazed with thought. He was thinking and feeling a mix of things as he stood there, unsure about just what to focus on. What would his future be like? What about GUN and Robotnick? What about his friendships? What about his romance? They were bouncing back from side to side in his brain, and Shadow was just unsure what to do.

He sighed once again and finished his glass of water, not before looking at it. Half empty, or half full? He wasn't sure at this point as he gulped it down, placing it next to the stainless steel sink. He faced the glossy metal until he turned back to in front of him, shocked at who was in his face.

A pink hedgehog he knew all too well was standing before him, arms crossed together in front of her. Shadow blinked, looking completely surprised. This did not last long as his eyebrows met together in anger, eyes turning into flames. His feelings inside were so new, but after a few months about learning all about them, he knew exactly what they were; possessiveness and jealously. What was _she_ doing in Sonic's house?

"Who invited you here?" he said rather bluntly, his eyes still cold with icy hot revulsion. The pink hedgehog stared back at him with bright jade eyes. Shadow thought Sonic's were much prettier, so much more of a richer color of emerald. His had flecks of other greens, and had larger shinning pupils-

His thoughts were broken about the blue hedgehog thankfully, unsure of how long he would gloat on the other.

"This isn't your house, though you certainly act like it is." she said with equal resentment in her bland eyes. "Where is Sonic right now?"

Shadow snorted, his eyes narrowing further. "And this is your business, why?" the pink hedgehog's eyes only flared brighter, bringing herself closer to Shadow. They were just barely touching, and it was at this point, the red striped hedgehog felt extremely uncomfortable.

"Just curious is all, Shadow." she said his name with ease, her brow rising slightly. The black one stared back as he answered, his eyes softening just a bit.

"He's most likely showering." once again their actions before sprang into his head and he bit back a dark smile. As much as he would love to rub it into her face, he would never. The pink hedgehog stared at him with still eyes as if she could read his mind, unconsciously licking her lips in thought.

"Is he really? You'd know. You'd probably know a lot about Sonic, wouldn't you Shadow?" the black hedgehog said nothing, letting her continue speaking. "I could only imagine what sick things you two did behind my back."

The black hedgehog face formed into an offended expression, his ruby eyes ablaze. "Are you accusing me of sleeping with Sonic while you two were 'together'?" he asked, his voice suddenly going from an intimidating calm to aggressive. "You're crazier than I thought." the insult didn't even faze the pink hedgehog as she now let the male hedgehog speak. "You don't even get what you were, Rose. I don't know what fantasy world you live in, but me and Sonic had nothing while you were together. Come to think of it, there is something I have to correct in that statement; there was nothing _really_ going on between you two, either."

There was a very cold and slick air about the room, and Shadow's angry expression turned into one of the cruelest smiles he could muster. "You know I'm right."

Shadow was awaiting her response, but all she did was stare. She just continued to look up at him with such strange eyes, emotionless and not at all as pretty as Sonic's. Shadow didn't even want to call her eyes emerald; they were like some very green hazel. They were no way like Sonic's, hers were only boring. Shadow couldn't understand at all what the other hedgehog saw in the bitch. They continued to just stare each other down, Shadow's expression angry and hers blank as ever. The black hedgehog was about to open his mouth to say something, but was completely caught off guard with her reaction.

The pink hedgehog had jumped the black hedgehog and wrestled him into a heated kiss, crushing her red lips to his tan.

Shadow's eyes widened in fear and shock as his hands slid behind him, knocking the glass off the counter with a crash. Before she could get any further, the black hedgehog's hands had pushed her away, automatically swiping his arm over his lips. His eyes were dangerous when he then pounced at her, aiming right for her neck. There was more sounds of a tussle when Amy had jumped away from him, her chest rising up and down. Little flicks of hairs were in her eyes as she heard footsteps behind her, the female trying to fight a smile off her face.

Sonic entered the kitchen and was shocked at what he saw. He saw Shadow's hands tightly grasping Amy's arm, the female hedgehog in a state of panic. Her chest was rising in fear and her dress looked in disarray. Shadow's quills were in a mess as well, his lips looking red from lipstick. It hit the hero like a ton of bricks on what could of gone on, and Amy's shrill cry did not make matters any better.

"I WON'T EVER BE WITH YOU, SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG!" she slapped the black one's tan cheek, who didn't even budge. Crimson eyes looked straight at the blue hedgehog. This had been Amy's plan all along, making him look like he was caught in the act of cheating. The wench had out smarted him, his whole body trembling as the two male hedgehog's stared back at each other.

The pink hedgehog had been gone as soon as she had said that, but neither of them cared to notice. They were just locked at the eyes until Shadow saw something completely utterly shocking. There was pure, unadulterated sadness in the eyes of the other as he took a step back, shaking his head. The terror storming through the black hedgehog's mind was like nothing before, taking a step forward as his eyes begged.

"It's not what it looks like, I swear." Sonic said nothing, and the next words shot out of Shadow's mouth, his pupils large in fear. "You know I don't even like Amy." Sonic continued to just look at the other in heartbroken shock, until he actually walked himself towards the front door. His shaking hand grabbed the handle, Shadow listening to the now violently shuddering metal. Finally, Sonic turned his back to the other.

"Don't follow me, Shadow. Don't even bother to." and after those few words, the speed demon was gone in an instant.

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Seriously, now more than ever, I need some opinions. I need to know, 'TOTALLY CHEESY' or not; my editor is telling me no but I need an opinion from fans of the story.

By the way, repeated question: Should this have a sad ending, or happy?

Oh, by the way, for any confusion: Sonic is upset because he thought that Shadow tried to kiss Amy. Because of what position and state they were in, and because of what Amy said. I think my editor was confused and I want to clear this up for anyone else who could be.

Rate and Review, as usual.


	24. The Truth Will Always Come Out

So, yeah. I've been suffering with a case of SEVERE senioritis; you must forgive me.

I haven't had a desire to do anything lately, not that I can. I sleep very little, and work a lot. I apologize for this chapter taking so long but I really have been struggling with my writing. I haven't been happy with it, like I've hit a wall. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and truly forgive me for my absence. I've been trying to concentrate a lot on my social life due to the fact that, well, it's senior year. College is just around the corner. Which, I'm happy to say, I was accepted to St. John's University. WHOO!

I'm happy yet sad; sad to say the chapter after this will be the last one. I can't even believe it's finished, I can't. And I won't lie; it might take a while for the last chapter to come up. I have a feeling I'm going to be doing a lot of editing with it; it has to be just right.

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

**Name**: 'Chained By Love'

**Rating**: Teen/PG-13 (might go up)

**Pairings**: SonicxShadow, possible KnuxRouge

**Warning**: Male/Male relationship; don't read if you don't like it

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Shadow didn't care how much weakness he was feeling, far too busy concentrating on his fast pumping heart. Right now his face was crawling with pride, but his insides were not. Many questions were running through his mind as he contemplated what could happen next.

There was a possibility the blue hedgehog wouldn't even believe him, and Shadow could lose him forever. This almost made his heart pause in its distress; that was not the way Shadow wanted to go. Would he believe Amy? Even worse, run back to Amy? His stomach churned and twisted, as if someone was wrenching it between their hands. His face contorted as such ideas only pushed him further.

He brought himself to the massive cliff both Sonic and him knew very well, seeing his guess was correct. He gazed thoughtfully at the blue hedgehog, who was sitting quietly upon the lone edge. Neither did anything, but Shadow had a feeling his presence was known.

It wasn't long until the blue hedgehog stood from his spot. Shadow could completely admit he was nervous. Never had he seen such a powerful look in those vivid green eyes, different shades of emerald swirling in furry. He was slow in his steps as he softly padded towards him, the black hedgehog never budging. Crimson stared back in equal bravado, his quills shuddering in the wind. It was a cool breeze, thankful that it woke him from any trance those eyes were putting him in.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you were telling the truth; Amy probably would do something like that," Sonic snorted. "Something isn't right with her."

Shadow, in a mix of respect and hesitance, remained silent. Sonic was separated by only inches from the other, his eyes still daring Shadow to do something. Crimson was becoming more and more reserved by the second, the blue one's chest puffing out. "Prove it to me. Prove it to me that she was lying."

The black hedgehog snorted in arrogance, knowing right away this action was foolish. It was such a habit weaved into his brain that it unconsciously slipped. He was far too into a response now, a jumble of words falling from his lips. "Because you'd be a dolt if you took her word."

Shadow felt strong and courageous in his speech, yet Sonic did not agree.

It was at that moment Sonic punched the other in the face with all his might, sending the black hedgehog staggering back from his fist. There was a large crack, a yelp, and Shadow stared back at the blue one in shock, blood leaking from the crook of his lips. It was then those very corners of his mouth twitched into a twisted smile, the black hedgehog fully charging at the other.

Shadow head-butted him to the ground but Sonic once again swung at him, putting fresh blood into the other's mouth. His lips stained red, Shadow took a deep breath but felt the other grab him by the neck. Shadow moaned quietly as the other threw his back to the ground with a loud 'thud'. Sonic straddled his hips and looked down at him, emerald eyes burning, not waiting a second longer to kiss him. Shadow, in a mix of fury and attraction, kissed back with a harsh bite to the other's lip. Sonic snarled but continued to kiss him, the both of them aggressively rolling around in the grass.

Shadow was now on top of Sonic, a harsh laugh emitting from his strained throat. Sonic punched him once again, not missing the black hedgehog's eye. Shadow cried out and then punched the hero in the cheek, happy to watch it swell. Both looked pretty banged up as Shadow stood off him, backing away defensively. Sonic too stood with his breath shaking, speaking after wiping blood from his mouth.

"For all I know, you and Amy could have been at it for a while." he said, growling. Shadow laughed cruelly, rolling his eyes.

"I don't waste my time on childish relationships." he snorted. Sonic actually looked more hurt than angry, his eyes now glowing with hate.

"So, what do we have!? What am I to _you_?!" was all he asked, his feet stamping into the ground as he walked towards him. "What, are you using me?! Are you using Amy too?! Do you plan on..._screwing_ me and running?!" Shadow listened to each of these accusations in a cold calm, feeling a small river of blood trail from his mouth. With Sonic in his face, he continued to scan his eyes, only seeing pain. Shadow closed his eyes, shaking his head slowly.

"For you to even think that is ludicrous," Shadow continued before Sonic could even interrupt. "I don't know why Amy came, I haven't seen her since you were with her. She ambushed me, Sonic. She planted a kiss on me to make it look like I was cheating on you; after accusing me of sleeping with you while you two were dating." Sonic remained silent, gazing into Shadow's eyes. "Do I seem like the type of person to even do that? To even be in a relationship?" he growled slightly. "I never wanted to fall for you, but I did. I never wanted to fall for anyone. Because whenever I get close to anyone, it falls apart horribly.

"The fact you can't take my word over Amy disturbs me. I would never hurt you like that, because I know how it feels to be screwed over." he closed his eyes to stop them from becoming moist, continuing as Sonic's gaze was becoming softer and softer. "You want proof? I can't give you proof other than my word." he paused for a moment, in deep contemplation.

"I swear on Maria's grave," he said softly. "that I would never do that. And I know if she was here, she'd understand."

Sonic was at loss of words. All he wanted to do was crawl into a cave, curl up, and die. For him to even think he couldn't trust Shadow _was_ ludicrous. Over Amy? Someone who probably hates Shadow's existence? He wouldn't be surprised if she hated him, too. He backed away from the black hedgehog and dug his palms into his eyes, shaking his head.

"I can't believe jealousy got the best of me." Sonic knew that was it. "When I saw you two," he paused, his breath ragged. "My heart broke in half." he looked at Shadow, his eyes now full of tears. "For you to even do something like that killed me. To think she was worthy over me." Shadow listened to his words, his expression completely blank. "My rage got the best of me and I had to leave."

Shadow snorted, almost playfully, as he crossed his weary arms. "It got the best of me, too." He rubbed his swollen and now bruised eye, Sonic slowly walking over. Shadow watched him hesitate before he gently removed the black hedgehog's hand. He placed the lightest of kisses on the other's eye, and Shadow wiped away the tears lingering on the hero's cheeks.

"I can't lie," stated Shadow, smirking as he kissed the other's neck. "It felt good to get all that anger out. Amy was lucky she ran."

Sonic laughed lightly as he slowly wrapped his arms around himself, his eyes downcast as he did so. "Shadow," he said, his eyes slowly meeting the other's. "I'm so sorry."

Shadow couldn't lie; he was now disturbed at how adorable he thought the other looked.

"It's alright, I deserved it." he held his hand out for counting. "There was the time I choked you, the time I kneed you in the stomach, and the time we fought near the GUN base." he smirked. "Apology accepted, hedgehog."

Sonic threw his arms out gently, making sure not to hurt each other's bruised sides. He kissed the black hedgehog's cheek and Shadow responded by wrapping his arms around him as well. "Doesn't it feel good to beat the crap out of someone?" he asked, his eyebrow raised. Sonic laughed at this and nodded his head, looking guilty.

"Yes." Shadow chuckled darkly at this, his expression softening as he found Sonic looking up at him. Silence fell between them as they held one another. Like before, the two found themselves in an aggressive kiss. They didn't care how swollen and bitten their lips were. Sonic paused, breaking the kiss for a moment and leaving Shadow slightly distraught. "What if Amy tells people?"

Shadow thought about this, giving a soft shrug. "Let's hope no one believes her," he said, his eyes wondering up to Sonic's. "Can we think about it later?" this got a soft laugh out of the blue hedgehog, who placed his lips back onto Shadow's.

"Sure; let's kiss and then worry." chuckled the hero.

Shadow was in love with that idea.

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	25. The Greatest Weight to Carry

The end of summer treat for you guys. I am so sorry this took forever, but I have been completely uninspired this whole summer. I took the couple of months to self reflect and really try to gather my thoughts; and of course, I barely succeeded.

This story, for the most part, took two years. Two long years I tried my best to work on this. There were a lot of dry spells, which I apologize, but this has been one of the best/most life changing/saddest/craziest times of my life in these two years. I went through a roller coaster four year relationship, transition of friends, I went through to partying to sobriety then back, and many other experiences with growing up.

All I can say is, thank you for all the people who have taken the time to read this. Thanks especially to the people who took the time to comment. I really enjoyed the criticism and the compliments from you people, you have no idea how greatly that affected me. Coming here seeing new reviews made my day. Thank you to Steven, my editor, my best friend, and now my fellow alumni at our university. Thank you to my friends, you know who you are. Ice, you're awesome. Playstation, you're the man. I could name so many more but that would require a lot of names.

Thank you, to all of you. And make sure you look out for the next story I will be coming out with. Believe me, I have almost 10 chapters for one, and I am brewing another!

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**Name**: 'Chained By Love'

**Rating**: Teen/PG-13 (might go up)

**Pairings**: SonicxShadow, possible KnuxRouge

**Warning**: Male/Male relationship; don't read if you don't like it

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Neither Sonic nor Shadow wanted to rush back to their home in the busy city, much rather enjoying the forest surrounding them. Shadow had always held dislike for the urban living after the first wave of excitement washed past him. The both of them laid quietly in the cool grass, their wounds enforced on each other feeling much better. The black hedgehog set himself slightly on top of the other, leaning his face on a single blue shoulder. Sonic's arm was snaked around Shadow's waist, both of their legs tangled together.

Only a few minutes passed since the two went quiet. The both of them talked for quite some time; just about mundane things, nothing serious at all. The blue hedgehog did the most talking like old times, and Shadow contently listened. Sonic certainly had some interesting tales about his life, even if he was young. Being the hero he was, he was glad someone willingly listened to him; most of his friends, such and Knuckles and Tails, had witnessed all his life experiences first hand.

But then silence took them over again. Although it was not uncomfortable, the hero had an itching question. He shifted a bit so he stared into the other's eyes, his voice soft. "What was Maria like, Shadow?"

Shadow was taken by surprise, the black hedgehog's eyes glinting. He hadn't thought of the blonde haired girl in quite some time. It was his turn to shift, trying to think of the proper words to describe her. He really never talked to anyone about her before. Even though so many years had passed, it was still hurtful to even think about. The blue hedgehog sat up and looked down, looking slightly guilty.

"If you don't want to talk about it, I'm sorry," he paused, ears folding back. "I was just always a little curious." Shadow shook his head, giving a shrug.

"It's fine. I just had to think about it." Sonic looked back at him and slowly lowered to his spot, their eyes meeting again. "Never before had I ever met anyone so," he hesitated, thinking once again. "Pure. Completely void of any negative energy. Not a bad vibe in her. Her soul was completely untainted. She truly was an angel; that's the best way I can describe her. She never wished bad on anyone. Wherever she is, she probably isn't wishing bad on those who killed her." he laughed kindly, recalling his friend. "She thought everything happened for a reason." he shrugged.

Sonic blinked, his brows rising. "She sounded amazing." Shadow nodded.

"She was. She was my best friend, and she always will be." the black hedgehog looked into the other's green eyes, his own crimson becoming gentle.

"I don't know what I'd do if I lost Tails." the blue hedgehog looked uncomfortably. "I get worried about him when we fight together. He's always in the back of my mind." Shadow's eyes gave a bit of a spark, but his face remained serious.

"That's the way it should be." Sonic smiled in return to this and sat up once again, crossing his arms on his knees.

"Yeah. My friends are everything to me." he paused for a moment and looked back at the other hedgehog. "So are you." his voice was quiet and almost shy, as if he was testing cold water. Shadow gently raised an eyebrow as he joined his side, him too sitting upwards. He looked into the now completely black horizon, trying to find the right words.

"I know." he only smirked as he received a punch in his arm. Shadow decided not to say that he felt the same way.

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Shadow opened his eyes and appeared in the same field, in the same location, in the same position. Straight on the ground, but no longer covered in bruises. It was daylight, the sun bright and beautiful. It had been a month since that day, and even though Shadow's fractured rib (Sonic got a good punch on that) was kind of sore, he never even thought of that day. The black and red hedgehog just continued to watch the clouds in silence, and it would come to no surprise that he was waiting for the hero.

This was a usual routine. Shadow and Sonic couldn't just be all over each other in the house; Tails or Knuckles could appear out of anywhere. Knuckles, unsurprisingly, was not suspicious; well, he was being 'entertained' anyway. He may act like he hated Rouge, but all three of the others knew he truly loved it; the bat knew it too. She constantly paid 'surprise visits' to all the boys. There would be the same daily regime: the female would state she'd steal the Master Emerald, while Knuckles would respond with a fit. Shadow knew that Rouge didn't want the emerald anymore; she wanted the echidna.

Tails, really way too young and naive to realize how deep their affection could go, merely shrugged off when the two would outwardly flirt in front of him.

And for Rouge? She'd laugh at Shadow, since she knew all along. The female would smirk and bat her long eyelashes, shrugging.

"It's just woman's intuition, Shadow."

The black and red hedgehog couldn't believe he was still with all of them; the bat, the fox, the echidna, and his now boyfriend. People who he barely knew less than a year ago; people who knew him way before he could even utter a sound. His gloved hand snaked around his neck, tracing the scar across his throat. It had healed considerably, but it still remained a constant reminder to the hedgehog. It was a wound; wounds always heal, no matter how slowly they may take.

You would think fifty years would be enough, but of course, there was always that pang deep down in his heart. There was always a growl that escaped the hedgehog's throat at the mention of G.U.N. And for Sonic, there was bitterness whenever Shadow looked intrigued by Robotnik. The black hedgehog couldn't assure him enough that he had no real interest. The hero would cross his arms and only respond, "Curiosity killed the cat."

This made Shadow laugh where he laid, rolling his crimson eyes. The hero was a dufus, but Shadow really adored that about him. Never had Shadow met someone so different from him since Maria; so carefree, so bright eyed, and willing to help anyone. Hell, he was scared he was going to rub off on him and get soft. He snorted; Sonic was enough hero for the both of them.

Even with the other's being a constant reminder that they couldn't be out, their relationship progressed smoothly. With every road, there are a few bumps, but nothing that the shocks couldn't absorb. It was up to debate who was harder to live with; Sonic was childish and lazy, while Shadow was tidy and a killjoy; with two dominate personalities, of course they clashed. But in the end, one would find a solution and they'd both wind up giving in at the end.

They didn't bicker enough to ever annoy one another; they would always wake up to each other laughing or smiling at least a little. This was very unlike Shadow, and usually it would take a lot of pushing for Sonic to even get a peep out of him. But the blue hedgehog always found a way, even if he had to tickle him; which, by the way, the serious of the two DREADED. He'd snarl and try to come off intimidating, but when a laugh broke out of his muzzle, he knew it never worked.

He was waiting for him here, but wasn't worried. He knew he'd come eventually. He always did. At this point, he sat up, looking towards the horizon. Shadow was finally free; and he wasn't roaming the world. This made his breathing hitch a little. At one of point in his life, he'd be cursing himself lividly. He totally went against everything he wanted; chained up, roaming the world, trusting no one. He did get his freedom; but he was in a relationship and living in an apartment in the city, a place which drove him crazy. He shifted a bit, his ears folding back.

He could leave, very easily. Hell, he was as fast as Sonic. But the hero held him back. Like a weight he wanted to drag around. And he didn't care if it made him look soft, he'd caddy it around with happiness. So he sure was still chained; but he was loving every moment of it. Once again, his past self would be snickering at him, if he could snicker with those big bulky chains on his throat.

And what was in the world? Honestly, the blue hedgehog was his world. Once again, a laugh from his former self. He knew this sounded disgustingly cheesy.

And, well, for the trust issue? Trusting no one would never work. Shadow was a lone wolf, yes. But even he knew he'd be insane without contact. He grew up with someone loving him and likewise; he was bound to talk to someone again.

Shadow then realized that he didn't need to go anywhere. Why would he? Because at that exact moment, a trail of dust was rising in the horizon. And there was Sonic, captivating emerald eyes half lidded with a smile on his face, his feet in full fledge run. Shadow stood up quickly and crossed his arms, playfully rolling his eyes.

"Show off," he said as the blue one pulled to a stop, raising an eyebrow. "Was that really necessary?" Before the blue hedgehog responded, he placed a thoughtful finger on his lip and paused.

"Yes. Yes, it was." he laughed and took Shadow's arm, pulling him close and placing a deep kiss on his muzzle. Shadow responded with equally aggressive lips, his eyebrow only raising further. God, it didn't matter how many times they kissed, it still felt as intoxicating as the first. When alone, the hedgehogs really had trouble keeping their hand off each other

"Fine. I'll let it slide." said the black hedgehog, his face fighting to keep a serious persona. The blue hedgehog 'pfft' and laughed, placing an arm around his waist.

"When have I ever listened to you, bud?" he asked, smiling a bit. The black hedgehog playfully peeled his arm off him, snorting.

"When I made you." he pulled at the other's ear softly, the blue hedgehog yelping.

"Hey! Easy there," he smirked and gently pushed the other off him, and Shadow knew exactly where this was going. "You better be ready to fight!"

Shadow felt himself being tackled to the ground, the blue hedgehog struggling to pin him down. "Easy on the rib, Faker." he growled playfully, nipping at the same ear he tugged at. Sonic laughed himself and raised an eyebrow, trying to shake the appendage free.

"Don't make me use the tickle-attack, Shadow." he immediately released Sonic's ear, mumbling to himself. "That's what I thought."

They laid there for a while, Shadow allowing Sonic to pin him down. The blue hedgehog stared down at the other, his face soft. "While on the job, I did miss you." Shadow stared up at him and his face switched from calm to serious, rolling his eyes another time.

"What romantic movie did you watch this time?" the blue hedgehog broke out in laughter, gently pushing himself off.

"None. It wasn't a movie. All up in here." he pointed to his temple, a smirk etching onto his face as he helped the other up. "C'mon, admit it; you felt the same. You missed me too." the black hedgehog showed him his back and crossed his arms, eyes closing in stubbornness.

"I will never admit to it." he looked back him with half lidded eyes, far used to the puppy face the other was pulling.

"B-b-but Shaaaaaadz." said Sonic, who gave him the trembling lip, knowing this would not work. He crept behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist, kissing at his neck. The black hedgehog tried to nudge him off, giving a sigh when he saw this as useless.

"Okay. I noticed you were gone." The blue hedgehog sprang up before him, raising a finger to the other.

"Ah-ha! I knew it. You cannot hide from me, Shadow." he put his face into the other's, raising an eyebrow. "You know you can't get enough of me."

The black hedgehog snorted, raising an eyebrow. "I think it's you who can't get enough of me."

"How much you want to bet?" shot out the blue one, challenging his words. Shadow gave him a dirty look and then proceeded to walk away, the blue hedgehog crossing his arms. He stayed still for a moment and then he sighed, mumbling. "Fine, fine. You're right, Shadow."

The black hedgehog paused and smirked a bit, looking over his back. "You are too, Sonic." he said softly, crimson eyes glinting. The blue hedgehog once again took him by the waist, a slight smile on his face as he pulled him close.

"As you said in your own words: I know." Shadow had actually laughed at this, looking at the other straight in the eyes. They were silent for some time until Sonic placed a kiss on his shoulder, his eyes again meeting his. "C'mon; back to the house? Shouldn't have a single visitor tonight."

Shadow processed this and nodded, taking Sonic up on his offer. "I'll hold you to that. What about a race, Sonic? Just to make things interesting." he said, that eyebrow once again elevated. Sonic's smirk grew only larger and more devilish, the hedgehog rubbing his hands together.

"That's my type of idea, Shadow."

The two went into racing formation, looking ready for battle. They kneeled on one knee and extended the other leg, eyes trying to focus forward. But every few seconds their eyes wondered back towards the other, both hoping they wouldn't realize. As if they shared a mind, they took off at the same moment, the dust picking up around them. The cliff was fading into the background, the clouds were disappearing in the sky, and it was just everything ahead of them.

Shadow continued to try and focus on what was before him, but once again, his eyes wondered. The hedgehog locked eyes with the other besides him, the hero staring right back. It was at this point Shadow didn't give a damn about the race. He only cared about the hedgehog next to him. He knew he really _loved_ the hedgehog next to him. And he just knew, by the way the other looked back at him, he loved him too.

Nothing else more had to be said. Shadow was chained by love, and adored every moment of it.

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Once again, review and comment on the final chapter of this story. I apologize for how long this took; I know how it feels to be that reader waiting for the next chapter. But thanks for all those who hung in there and put up with it.

If you ever have to get a hold of me, always drop me a line. I love getting messages and meeting new people. Thanks again!

Peace&Love


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